PRIME MINISTER

Elections

Richard Burden: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the responsibilities of Ministers and Government Departments for electoral systems and electoral arrangements relating to elections for (a) councils, (b) the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly, (c) the European Parliament, (d) the London Assembly and future English regional assemblies and (e) the House of Commons, with particular reference to consideration of proposals for review and reform.

Tony Blair: Ministerial responsibility for policy, including for reform and modernisation, on election matters is for:
	the Lord Chancellor for House of Commons and European Parliament elections in England and Wales, and for co-ordination on UK-wide electoral matters;
	the Deputy Prime Minister for elections to English, and to the extent issues are not devolved Welsh, councils, the Greater London Authority, and any future English regional assembly;
	the Secretary of State for Scotland for all elections in Scotland, other than those for councils, which is a devolved matter;
	the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for all elections in Northern Ireland;
	the Secretary of State for Wales for Welsh Assembly elections.
	All these responsibilities are exercised in consultation with the Electoral Commission, which is accountable through the Speaker's Committee to the House of Commons.

Intelligence Services

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister for what reason the Ministerial Committee on the Intelligence Services has not been asked to endorse the UK's Requirements and Priorities for Secret Intelligence.

Tony Blair: The UK's requirements for secret intelligence are submitted to the Ministerial Committee on the Intelligence Services each year for endorsement.

Interception of Communications Commissioner

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on paragraph 30 of the Intelligence and Security Committee annual report 2001–02 with specific reference to the resources available to the Interception of Communications Commissioner.

Tony Blair: As stated in the Government Response to the Intelligence and Security Committee's annual report for 2001–02, officials are discussing with the Commissioner what extra resources would be required to deal with the anticipated increase in work. The Government will make available to the Commissioner an appropriate level of resources to enable him to carry out his responsibilities.

National Energy Research Centre

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister what proposals he has for a national energy research centre.

Tony Blair: The Department for Trade and Industry has lead responsibility on this issue.
	The establishment of a national energy research centre was a key recommendation of the review of Government support for energy research led by the Chief Scientific Adviser last autumn. Like all the other recommendations of that review, it was incorporated into the report of the Performance and Innovation Unit's wider review of energy policy published on 14 February. The Government intend to set out their response to that report in a White Paper around the turn of the year.
	In the meantime, the Research Councils are developing detailed proposals for an energy research centre in consultation with the Chief Scientific Adviser and other interested parties. These would form part of a broader proposal for sustainable energy research.

TRANSPORT

Rail Services (West Cornwall)

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the reliability of rail services to west Cornwall.

John Spellar: The Strategic Rail Authority produces performance figures for each of the train operating companies in its publication 'On Track'. The latest version was published on 6 June and has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Rail and LRT Services

Colin Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to provide (a) rail and (b) LRT services to towns that have neither.

David Jamieson: The Strategic Rail Authority's Strategic Plan sets out priorities for development of the national rail network. In addition to national strategic priorities it includes increased funding for the Rail Passenger Partnership scheme, which is available to support local schemes. It is for local authorities to promote, through the Local Transport Plan process, the public transport modes best suited to their area.

Bus Travel (Worcester)

Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to encourage the greater use of bus travel within Worcester.

John Spellar: The Secretary of State provides funding to Worcestershire County Council to implement its Local Transport Plan. The first annual progress report on the Local Transport Plan includes a draft bus strategy which provides more detail on how the Council will be developing their bus services. Recent initiatives which have been implemented in Worcester include:
	Park and Ride—the first of three proposed sites opened in May 2001,
	Bus access scheme—Angel Street, and
	Bus quality partnership—Worcester to Eckington.
	In addition the Council has received bursaries which have allowed them to appoint school and workplace travel co-ordinators. These co-ordinators are dedicated to encouraging sustainable transport, including the use of buses, across the county.

Fuel Duty Rebate

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress he has made in his review of fuel duty rebate for providers of bus passenger services.

John Spellar: Work is under way on the review of bus subsidies, including fuel duty rebate, announced in the April Budget. We will take this forward over the coming months. It will build on ongoing work by the Commission for Integrated Transport, due to conclude in the autumn, and other related studies. It will also invite views from other interested bodies.

Fuel Duty Rebate

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the fuel duty rebate introduced in May for community transport services.

David Jamieson: Over 320 community transport organisations have already applied for eligibility to receive fuel duty rebate. Eligible organisations will be making their first claims for payment this autumn. This funding will enable the improvement and expansion of services which have an important role in improving accessibility and combating social exclusion.

Speed Controls

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what alternatives to speed cushions his Department is investigating.

David Jamieson: The Department has an extensive programme of road safety research covering a wide range of topics including development and evaluation of a variety of road humps and traffic calming works designed to reduce road accidents and encourage improved driving styles. Full details of current research and summaries of results of completed research are provided in a Road Safety Research Compendium, which is available on the Department's website and in the Library of the House.

Speed Controls

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to change the policy in relation to the use of speed limit repeater signs; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: Local authorities are required to sign all speed limits where the speed limit has been created by way of a speed limit order. The exemptions are where the road is a restricted road (30mph indicated by a system of street lighting) where repeater signs are strictly prohibited, or on roads where the national speed limit applies.
	However, we are looking at signing as part of the overall package on developing improved speed management. The issue of speed limit repeater signs will form part of our considerations.

Speed Controls

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance he gives on the visibility of speed cameras.

David Jamieson: Visibility rules for those areas participating in the safety camera netting off scheme were announced on 3 December 2001. These state that fixed site camera housings should be clearly signed and made visible by being painted or marked in yellow. Mobile enforcement units should also be clearly marked and visible to drivers. Areas currently outside the netting off scheme would need to comply with all the visibility requirements as a condition of joining.

Railways (Trespass and Vandalism)

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on incidences of trespass and vandalism on the railways.

David Jamieson: Trespass and vandalism is a serious problem for the railways.
	It is very disappointing that over half of all train incidents are due to vandalism. The Government are pleased that all sections of the rail industry recently came together in the National Route Crime Group to examine and promote ways of tackling trespass and vandalism on the railways.

School Run (Congestion)

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his assessment is of the impact on congestion of children being driven to school.

David Jamieson: 16 per cent. of cars on urban roads at 8.50 am in term time in 1998–2000 were taking children to school. This is a reduction from 20 per cent. in 1995–97. We have asked local authorities to include strategies for further reductions in their local transport plans and have increased funding for associated measures.

Gourock Station (Redevelopment)

David Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with Railtrack concerning the redevelopment of the transport interchange at Gourock station.

David Jamieson: None. I understand that the Scottish Executive is working with the promoting authorities for the scheme to try to find the way forward. Signal design and engineering resources remain at a premium within the rail industry although Railtrack and the Strategic Rail Authority are taking steps to address the shortage.

Airport Capacity

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the ability of current airport capacity to meet demand for air travel over the next 10 years.

John Spellar: We are currently finalising a series of regional consultation documents on airports and air services, between them covering the whole of the UK, which we intend to publish shortly. These consultation documents include an assessment of current airport capacity to meet demand for air travel up to 2030, and identify the capacity enhancements which might be required over that period under a range of policy scenarios.

Train Punctuality

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the trends in train punctuality over the last five years.

John Spellar: Between 1997 and 2000 the rolling annual average Public Performance Measure (PPM), which measures punctuality and reliability, slowly declined from about 90 per cent. to 86 per cent. as the number of train kilometres ran (passengers and freight) increased by some 20 per cent. Punctuality and reliability fell sharply after Hatfield due, in large part, to the temporary speed restrictions imposed to deal with gauge corner cracking and other rail defects. The rolling annual average PPM fell to 75 per cent. though it is now rising. The Strategic Rail Authority is working with the rail industry to achieve substantial, lasting improvements in performance.

Train Services (London)

Roger Casale: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to improve the reliability of train services in London.

David Jamieson: It is a primary objective for the Strategic Rail Authority to work with the rail industry to achieve substantial lasting improvements in performance. £400 million has been allocated to a new Rail Performance Fund set up to co-invest with rail companies in short-term schemes to improve reliability for passengers.

Rail Stops (Leeds)

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to encourage the opening of new suburban rail stops in the Leeds area.

John Spellar: The Rail Passenger Partnership scheme administered by the Strategic Rail Authority helps fund new or enhanced rail services or facilities, including stations.
	I understand that the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (PTE) has commissioned a study into five potential new stations as part of the proposed new Northern franchise.

High Speed Rail Links

George Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he next expects to meet the chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority to discuss the development of high speed rail links.

John Spellar: The Strategic Rail Authority's study into the need for and viability of a high speed line running between London and the North of England and Scotland is due to be completed later this year. The Chairman of the Authority will report the findings to Ministers at that time.

Freight (Railways)

Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made in transferring freight traffic to railways in the past five years.

David Jamieson: Our policy is to help establish an integrated, sustainable freight distribution system to support economic growth and bring social and environmental benefits. In the past five years, the amount of rail freight moved has grown by 30 per cent., including 9 per cent. in the past year.

Transatlantic Air Services

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on transatlantic air services.

John Spellar: The UK Government is keen to liberalise the UK-US Air Services Agreement as we would like consumers to benefit from increased competition and airlines to benefit from improved access to the world's largest market. But that competition has to be on fair terms. We are currently reviewing a range of options that are open to us.

Road User Charging

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received regarding road user charging.

David Jamieson: We have received various representations, reflecting various points of view.

A303 (Safety)

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on safety improvements to the A303.

David Jamieson: A number of safety improvement schemes have recently been undertaken on the A303. The Highways Agency continues to monitor the safety record of this and other trunk roads and, if further improvements are needed, they will be added to the Agency's programme.

Railways (Private Finance)

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the railways' ability to raise private finance.

John Spellar: The 10-Year Plan for Transport and the SRA Strategic Plan have projected a total amount of private sector investment in rail of around £34 billion over the 10 years to March 2011. This investment will be supported and levered in by £33.5 billion of public sector funding for rail.
	We remain confident that this level of private investment will be delivered, indeed over £7 billion has already been committed.

Airports (Consultation)

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to consult on the future of airports in Great Britain.

John Spellar: We are currently finalising a series of regional consultation documents on airports and air services between them covering the whole of the UK, which we intend to publish shortly; these documents will seek views on the future development of airports and air services in each region over the next 30 years.

Light Railway and Tram Schemes

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to expand light railway and tram schemes.

David Jamieson: Our 10-Year Plan reflects our commitment to light rail in major cities. However, whether light rail offers the most appropriate and cost- effective response to local transport needs is a matter, in the first instance, for the local authorities concerned, to consider while formulating and reviewing their Local Transport Plans. Thereafter, any light rail scheme or other major transport project would need to undergo rigorous appraisal, and examination under any relevant statutory procedures, before funding approval could be considered.

Buses (Pupil Overcrowding)

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received about changing the law on pupil overcrowding on scheduled bus services.

John Spellar: We have received no recent representations, other than the parliamentary questions tabled by my hon. Friend the Member for Monmouth at the end of last year, which dealt with overcrowding on a bus route in Monmouth and related matters.

Fire Safety

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) statutory duty and (b) guidelines have been given to fire authorities on giving fire safety advice to the public.

Nick Raynsford: I have been asked to reply.
	Fire authorities have a statutory duty under The Fire Services Act 1947 1(1)(f) to secure efficient arrangements for the giving, when requested, of advice in respect of buildings and other property in the area of the fire authority as to fire prevention, restricting the spread of fires, and means of escape in case of fire.
	In addition to this, we intend to introduce a duty on fire authorities to secure efficient arrangements for providing advice, assistance and encouragement in respect of the steps to be taken to prevent fires in their area and to prevent the death of, or injury to, any person being caused by such a fire. This will form part of a Regulatory Reform Order, which will be out for consultation shortly.
	The National Community Fire Safety Centre was established in 1998 to provide a resource for brigades in community fire safety work, whose toolbox gives guidance on advising the public on fire safety issues as well as examples of best practice.

Illegal Fuel

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action the Government are taking to tackle fuel fraud; and how much has been allocated to this task in the last three years.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	Following consultation in the November 2001 pre-Budget report, the Chancellor announced in the Budget a comprehensive strategy to tackle the rising problem of oils fraud including the release of additional resources in 2002–03 to enable the effective enforcement of these new controls, involving the deployment of more staff and investment in new technology. Details of this are contained in the Budget 2002 Press Notice, HMG 2, published on 17 April.
	Customs' estimate of officers wholly dedicated to the oils sector over the last three complete financial years is:
	
		
			  Dedicated oils officers 
		
		
			 1999–2000 172 
			 2000–01 253 
			 2001–02 285 
		
	
	These officers assure and assist compliant traders and also tackle those who seek to evade revenue through fraudulent activities.
	In addition, multi-functional Customs officers undertake a range of activities in their areas of responsibility including work in the oils sector. It is not possible to separate the time spent by these officers on oils work alone.

Motoring Costs

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has carried out as to the cost of running a private motor car within the Greater London area.

David Jamieson: The average expenditure on motoring per car per week for people living in Greater London, averaged over the period 1998–99 to 2000–01, was £54.30.

Bus Priority Schemes

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what bus priority schemes have been introduced since 1997, giving (a) the date of introduction of the scheme and (b) the body introducing and responsible for the scheme, distinguishing between (i) guided bus systems, (ii) infrastructure improvements and (iii) other schemes.

John Spellar: holding answer 27 June 2002
	Since 1997 we have approved or provisionally approved the following bus-based major local transport schemes in England outside London. The table lists the schemes, their type, the local authority and the year of approval.
	
		
			 Authority  Scheme Type 
		
		
			 1998   
			 West Yorkshire PTA East Leeds Quality Bus Project Guided 
			
			 1999   
			 Bradford A641 Manchester Road Quality Bus Project Guided 
			 West Midlands PTA Town Centre Strategy Infrastructure 
			 2000   
			 Bradford South Bradford Integrated Transport Improvements Infrastructure 
			 Bradford City Centre Integrated Transport Scheme Infrastructure 
			 Cheshire Chester-Deeside Transport Scheme Guided 
			 Derby Connecting Derby Infrastructure 
			 Doncaster A638 Great North Road Quality Bus Corridor Infrastructure 
			 Greater Manchester PTA Urban Traffic Management Scheme Other 
			 Newcastle Quayside Public Transport Project Infrastructure 
			 Warwickshire Nuneaton Development Project Infrastructure 
			 Plymouth Northern Corridor Scheme Infrastructure 
			 Wiltshire Salisbury Integrated Transport Measures Infrastructure 
			 Southend A13 Transport Corridor Infrastructure 
			 Tyne and Wear PTA Centrelink Infrastructure 
			 Tyne and Wear PTA Stephensons Corridor Joblink Infrastructure 
			 Walsall Integrated Transport Strategy Infrastructure 
			 Warrington Urban Traffic Management Scheme Other 
			 West Midlands PTA Hagley Road Bus Showcase Infrastructure 
			 West Midlands PTA Outer Circle Bus Showcase Infrastructure 
			 West Sussex Fastway Guided 
			 Wolverhampton Centre Access Scheme Infrastructure 
			
			 2001   
			 Barnsley Barnsley Interchange Infrastructure 
			 Durham Belmont Interchange Infrastructure 
			 Greater Manchester PTA Northern Orbital Quality Bus Corridor Infrastructure 
			 Kent Fastrack Guided 
			 Leeds A65 Quality Bus Project Guided 
			 Surrey School Bus Initiative Other 
			 Tyne and Wear PTA Four Lane Ends Interchange Infrastructure 
			 West Midlands PTA Masshouse Circus Infrastructure 
			
			 2002   
			 Greater Manchester PTA South East Manchester Quality Bus Corridor Infrastructure 
		
	
	Allocation of road space is a matter for the local highway authority. In addition to the major schemes, local authorities outside London indicate that they proposed to implement over 100 smaller scale bus priority schemes in both the last and present financial years.
	In London, since 3 July 2000 the implementation of bus priority measures has been the responsibility of the London local authorities and Transport for London (which reports to the Mayor). They are taking forward the London Bus Initiative, which is a strategic initiative to improve the service on London's key bus routes and includes priority measures. This £60 million initiative is being funded by the Government, including £50 million from the Capital Modernisation Fund.
	Before 3 July 2000, bus priority measures in London were taken forward by the London local authorities through the London Bus Priority Network initiative.
	Details about schemes in London and specific smaller schemes outside, including their timetable for introduction and detailed cost break-down, are not kept centrally.

Network Rail

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who is selecting the initial non-executive board members of Network Rail; and who has selected the member organisations of Network Rail.

David Jamieson: The appointments of directors and members are for Network Rail to determine.

Network Rail

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason the bridging loan to Network Rail is shown on the balance sheet of the Strategic Rail Authority; what assets the Strategic Rail Authority has to back the loan; what consultations took place with the European Commission about whether this loan should be included in Government accounts; and to whom the loss is charged if there is default on the loan.

David Jamieson: The Comptroller and Auditor General, in his capacity as statutory auditor of the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA), has concluded that Network Rail should be accounted for as a subsidiary of the SRA. At the same time, the Office for National Statistics has confirmed that Network Rail—once its board has been confirmed by its members—would not be classified as a public sector organisation. The ONS classification is based upon the European System of Accounts 1995.
	The contingent credit facility has been notified as a potential state aid to the European Commission, and it set out in the statutory contingent liability minute laid before Parliament on 27 June. As a contingent liability, the credit facility would only score as public expenditure in the extremely unlikely event of it being drawn.
	The assets of the SRA were outlined in its 2000–01 annual report and will be updated in its 2001–02 annual report to be published shortly.

Road Accidents

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many deaths and serious injuries there were in road accidents in 2001; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: Provisional figures, published in June, show that there were 3,443 people killed and 37,094 seriously injured on the public roads in Great Britain in 2001.
	This year, despite our firm commitment to improving road safety, it is sad to see an increase in the number of road deaths when both serious and slight injuries have continued to fall. We will be looking to see if there are identifiable reasons for this year's increase in the number of road deaths.

Delay Indicator Maps

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place copies of the Highways Agency delay indicator maps in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The Highways Agency's annual report for 2000–01 contains on page 39 the latest version of a map depicting stress levels on the trunk road network. The annual report was published on 31 January 2002 and copies were placed in the Libraries of the House.

Road Schemes

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what road schemes will be proposed in the next round of local transport plan annual progress reports; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when the next set of local transport plan annual progress reports will be published; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: Our guidance to authorities makes clear that local transport plan annual progress reports for 2001–02 should be made available to the public and easily obtainable at a reasonable cost. The reports are required to be submitted to my Department by English local authorities outside London by 31 July 2002 as are any proposals for new major local transport schemes. When received, both the reports and any bids for new major schemes will be considered as part of the determination of local transport capital settlement for 2003–04.

Ladbroke Grove Rail Inquiry

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the next progress report on the Ladbroke Grove rail inquiry part I will be published; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: On 29 April 2002, the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) stated that in future it will report progress on all 295 public inquiry recommendations in a single report under eight broad headings. This will include the Southall inquiry, so far as it is still relevant, the joint inquiry into Train Protection Systems, and the two Ladbroke Grove inquiries. The HSC plan to publish this report in November 2002.
	The HSC and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will continue to track action on each recommendation to ensure that none are overlooked. The HSC believes that presenting the information in this format will help everyone involved to gain a better appreciation of the overall safety benefits being delivered as well as sharpening focus on the key issues.

Bus Services

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) guidance has been given to local authorities and (b) legislation is in place covering (i) uncompetitive practices, (ii) improving integration and timetabling, (iii) regulation and de-regulation and (iv) quality partnerships for local bus services; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: My Department's guidance to local authorities on Local Transport Plans covers many of these matters. It emphasises the need for bus policies and provision to be integrated with other transport policies and encourages through-ticketing, better connections and co-ordination of services. Good practice guidance notes on quality bus partnerships and on public transport interchange have been produced on our behalf by consultants. The Office of Fair Trading will shortly be issuing guidance on the ticketing schemes block exemption and the application of the competition test contained in the Transport Act 2000, for the benefit of both local government and bus operators.
	The relevant legislation is Part II of the Transport Act 2000, chapter I of Part I of the Competition Act 1998 and the Competition Act 1998 (Public Transport Ticketing Schemes Block Exemption) Order 2001 (SI 2001 No. 319). Other legislation on the regulation of buses is in the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981 and the Transport Act 1985.

Secure Stations Scheme

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the stations which are not accredited under the secure stations scheme, indicating the total number of passengers using those stations used by more than 100,000 passengers each year; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The secure stations scheme is voluntary.
	Currently 143 stations are accredited under the scheme. Approximately one third of annual national rail passenger journeys involve these stations. Some TOCs are committed to seeking accreditation for all their stations.

Quiet Lanes

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 25 June 2002, Official Report, column 775W, on quiet lanes, what the total length of roads designated as quiet lanes is for each local authority; and what proportion of these roads is within each road classification.

David Jamieson: The information required to answer the question is not recorded centrally.

London Underground

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason preferred bidder status was conceded to contractors for the London Underground PPP before closing major parts of the deal; and if he will assess the costs and benefits of reducing competition before final agreements were reached.

David Jamieson: The negotiation of the PPP contracts is a matter for London Underground. However, I understand that, in line with guidance from the Office of Government Commerce, preferred bidder decisions were taken at the time they were because it was judged that the advantages to be gained from maintaining competitive tension were outweighed by the disadvantages of higher procurement costs and an increased risk of bids being withdrawn.

London Underground

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  whether the seven-and-a-half-year review of the 30-year PPP contract for the London Underground is an upwards only review; and what extra costs may fall on his Department for cost overruns;
	(2)  what price protection London Underground Ltd has for the 22.5 years for which pricing is not yet established under the PPP; and what the cost is of contract termination provisions of periodic review.

David Jamieson: In line with the provisions of the GLA Act 1999, the Secretary of State for Transport intends to appoint an independent arbiter. At periodic reviews, the arbiter has the power to set prices at a level appropriate for an economic and efficient infrastructure company. Prices set by the arbiter at these reviews could be either higher or lower than those currently expected. At this stage, it is not possible to say either by how much or in which direction they might vary.

London Underground

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much will be invested in the tube under the London Underground PPP; how much of this comes from the private sector; and how much of the private sector contribution the Government have guaranteed to pay back.

David Jamieson: Under our plans for modernising the London Underground, private sector infrastructure companies will carry out an investment and maintenance programme that is expected to amount to at least £16 billion over the first 15 years of the contracts. This will be funded through a combination of private finance and payments from London Underground. The payments London Underground make will vary in line with the level of performance the infrastructure companies deliver. In total, we expect some £6.2 billion in private finance to be raised in the first 15 years.
	The Government will not guarantee any private sector finance. However, the Secretary of State does intend to issue a letter of comfort in relation to the London Underground PPPs. This is intended to clarify his role in relation to the Greater London Authority and Transport for London, including his intentions towards providing funding for London Underground. This letter of comfort was reported to Parliament using the Minute procedure on 20 March 2002.

London Underground

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the rate of return the private consortia will earn on the London Underground PPP; and what assessment he has made of the fees earned by the financial and legal consultants engaged on developing the PPP.

David Jamieson: I refer my hon. Friend to the answers given to the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington (Tom Brake) on 14 May 2002, Official Report, columns 522–23W.

London Underground

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which business men advised the Government to adopt the structure chosen for the tube PPP; which companies they worked for; and who they work for now.

David Jamieson: The Government sought a wide range of views before deciding to proceed with the manifesto commitment to modernise the underground through a Public Private Partnership.

Public Transport (Safety)

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what safety requirements are imposed on (a) bus operators and (b) train operators to secure luggage to avoid it hitting passengers when (i) braking and (ii) cornering.

John Spellar: holding answer 1 July 2002
	(a) Regulation 100 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 requires that the load carried by a motor vehicle shall at all times be so secured, if necessary by physical restraint other than its own weight, and be in such a position, that neither danger nor nuisance is likely to be caused to any person or property by reason of the load or any part thereof falling from that vehicle.
	The Public Service Vehicles (Conduct of Drivers, Inspectors, Conductors and Passengers) Regulations 1990 require that anyone taking a cumbersome or bulky article or one that may cause an annoyance to another passenger shall place it on the vehicle where either the driver, inspector or conductor recommend.
	(b) The Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) Railway Safety Principles and Guidance includes guidance on railway construction to ensure that luggage is sufficiently secured to avoid hitting passengers when braking and cornering.

Public Transport (Safety)

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of evidence received as to whether seat belts would (a) save lives and (b) limit injuries in (i) train and (ii) bus crashes.

John Spellar: holding answer 1 July 2002
	The use of seat belts in buses for non-urban operation is estimated by the Department to reduce fatal and serious injuries to seated passengers by 30–40 per cent.
	The Department has made no such assessment on the fitting of seat belts to trains. However, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which is responsible for monitoring and enforcing safety on the railways, advises that although the use of properly fitting seat belts could in certain circumstances protect passengers in a train accident, it is not persuaded that the fitting of seat belts in trains is a reasonably practicable safety precaution. While some passengers may use seat belts voluntarily, there would be little point in fitting them without reasonable expectation that they would be relatively widely used.

Drug and Alcohol Screening

Gerry Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what statutory requirements there are for drug and alcohol screening tests for employees of transport companies.

David Jamieson: There are no statutory screening tests for employees of transport companies.
	The Government are aware that many transport operators already have strict policies that may include screening programmes.

Drug and Alcohol Screening

Gerry Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to introduce drug screening tests alongside breathalysers for traffic offences.

David Jamieson: Drug screening is already used by the majority of police forces who have trained officers in the techniques of drug recognition and tests of impairment. Devices that detect the presence of drugs chemically are being developed and tested by a number of commercial companies. If these prove successful and appropriate, they may be used to assist the police at the roadside. Under current legislation the police do not have the same power to test drivers at the roadside for possible drugs as they do for alcohol. It is the Government's intention to amend the legislation to enable this.

Railtrack Group

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, 
	(1)  pursuant to his statement of 27 June, what his estimate is of the value of the relief to be offered to Railtrack Group PLC in respect of corporation tax on capital gains;
	(2)  pursuant to his statement of 27 June, whether Railtrack employees with shares in Railtrack Group will be exempt from capital gains tax on the realisation of their shares, pursuant to the proposals from Network Rail.

David Jamieson: The Government have been advised that Railtrack Group should be able to take advantage of the exemptions referred to in paragraphs 24 and 25 of the Non-Statutory Contingent Liability minute laid before the House of Commons on 27 June. This would ensure that, in all likelihood, Railtrack Group incurs no tax liability as a result of the Railtrack plc disposal.

Railtrack Group

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the projects given in Railtrack's Network Management Statement 2001 that, by the end of March 2002, had (a) been completed, (b) been started but not completed, indicating the expected completion date and (c) not been started, indicating the expected start date.

David Jamieson: Railtrack advise that details of the work identified in the 2001 Network Management Statement (NMS) against details of work that has been completed, started but not completed, and of work that has not been started, will form a paper to be published as part of an update to the 2001 NMS. It is expected that this will be published in the summer of 2002.

Railtrack Group

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what duty is placed on the administrators of Railtrack PLC to provide accurate and timely information to Railtrack Group.

David Jamieson: This is a matter for the Administrators who are Officers of the High Court.

Asset Maintenance Plan

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on (a) the timing, (b) the responsibility for and (c) the basis of preparation of the asset maintenance plan.

David Jamieson: Railtrack's duties in respect of asset maintenance are primarily those set out in its network licence, in particular Conditions 7 and 24. Railtrack also has duties set out in regulated track access agreements with train operating companies. Railtrack produced asset maintenance plans for civil engineering (track and structures) in 1998 and for signalling assets in 1999. These formed critical inputs to the Rail Regulator's periodic review of access charges which concluded in October 2000. Railtrack also must produce a Network Management Statement (NMS) annually, in compliance with Condition 7 of its network licence. The NMS sets out how the company will manage the operation, efficiency and capability of its assets to meet the reasonable requirements of its customers.

Night Flights

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Government's appeal against the decision of the European Court of Human Rights on the banning of night flights will be heard; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Loughborough (Mr. Reed) on 19 December 2001, Official Report, columns 519–20W. The Judgment of the Third Section of the Court, issued on 2 October 2001, would not require a ban on night flights. The hearing before the Grand Chamber of the Court in the case of Hatton and Others v. the United Kingdom is scheduled for 9 October 2002.

Night Flights

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received on noise relating to night flights at East Midlands airport.

David Jamieson: I and my Department received over recent months a substantial number of personal and written representations on this subject, some advocating and others opposing designation of the airport for the purpose of imposing night restrictions.

Pedestrian Environment

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research he has conducted into improving the pedestrian environment for the disabled; if he will place a copy of results in the Library; and if he will list schemes introduced in the last two years to improve the pedestrian environment for the disabled.

David Jamieson: My Department has carried out a wide range of research over a number of years aimed at improving access to the pedestrian environment for disabled people. Research findings have been disseminated in the form of guidance for local authorities and others.
	We are currently finalising a comprehensive guidance document based on research to establish best practice in providing for disabled people both in the pedestrian environment and in transport infrastructure. "Inclusive Mobility—A Guide to Best Practice on Pedestrian and Transport Infrastructure" has been produced by my Department with support from Transport for London, the Institution of Highways and Transportation, the County Surveyor's Society, the Association of Transport Co-ordinating Officers and the Passenger Transport Executive Group. The guidance will help local authorities and transport providers to understand and fulfil their duties under Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1985. I will place a copy in the Library when it is published.
	We do not hold details of individual schemes that have been introduced by local authorities.

Heathrow Terminal 5

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the statement by the right hon. Member for Tyneside, North (Mr. Byers), Official Report, 20 November 2001, column 178, on Heathrow Terminal 5, when he will open the consultation on extending the night quota period; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: We aim to commence consultation on all aspects of the next night noise regime for the BAA London airports before the end of this year. It is likely to be a two stage process.

Heathrow Terminal 5

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the statement by the right hon. Member for North Tyneside, Official Report, 20 November 2001, column 178, on Heathrow Terminal 5, if he will make a statement on Government policy on the limit on the number of flights at Heathrow when Terminal 5 at Heathrow is built.

David Jamieson: The Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions imposed a condition on the planning consent for Heathrow Terminal 5, requiring that from the date the core terminal building opens for public use, the number of occasions on which aircraft may take-off or land at Heathrow shall not exceed 480,000 during any period of one year.

West Coast Main Line

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the cost of the West Coast Main Line upgrade; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 8 May 2002, Official Report, column 216W, to the hon. Member for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale (Mr. Duncan).

East Midlands Airport

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria he used to determine that East Midlands Airport should not be designated under section 78 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982 in relation to night flights.

David Jamieson: The decision not to designate the airport is explained in my letter of 18 June to North West Leicestershire district council. I have placed a copy of that letter in the Library of the House.

East Midlands Airport

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what meetings he or his predecessor had with representatives of North West Leicestershire district council prior to his decision not to designate East Midlands airport under section 78 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982 in relation to night flights.

David Jamieson: I met representatives of North West Leicestershire district council, along with others, on 13 November last, to discuss this matter. Subsequently the Department also received further written representations from the council.

Strategic Rail Authority

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the (a) subsidiary companies, (b) agencies and (c) other boards to the Strategic Rail Authority, giving their (i) responsibilities, (ii) powers and (iii) current turnovers.

David Jamieson: The Strategic Rail Authority has the following subsidiaries:
	
		
			  Company name  Activity Issued share capital Percentage SRA control 
		
		
			 BRB (Residuary) Ltd. Custodian of property, rights and liabilities previously belonging to the British Railways Board. 1 100 
			 Rail Documentation and Drawing Services Ltd. Custodian of rolling stock drawing and documents. 1 100 
			 DoA Ltd. DoA Ltd. was acquired by SRA Investment Company Ltd. on 1 October 2001 for £1 from the former DTLR. DoA Ltd. holds deeds of assumption with passenger transport executives (PTEs) requiring the repayment of capital sums and interest to the PTEs. 1 100 
			 SRA Investment Company Ltd. On 1 July 2001, the authority acquired SRA Investment Company Ltd. for the purpose of holding shares in new ventures in which the authority has an interest. It currently has a 100 per cent. holding in DoA Ltd. and a 50 per cent. holding in Cross London Rail Links Ltd. 100 100 
			 Cross London Rail Links Ltd. On 1 August 2001, the SRA Investment Company, together with Transport Trading Ltd. acquired Cross London Rail Links Ltd. This is a joint venture for the purpose of undertaking development and design work for two new train routes across London. 100 50 
			 Bridge Rail Ltd. Dormant 1 100 
			 British Rail Engineering Ltd. Dormant 1,000,000 100 
			 British Rail Ltd. Dormant 1 100 
			 British Railways Board Ltd. Dormant 1 100 
			 British Transport Hotels Ltd. Dormant 9,582,537 100 
			 Britravel Nominees Ltd. Dormant 100 100 
			 Cross Channel Catering Ltd. Dormant 100 100 
			 Crossrail Ltd. Dormant 2 100 
			 Goldings Rail Ltd. Dormant 1 100 
			 Hays Rail Ltd. Dormant 1 100 
			 OQS Rail Ltd. Dormant 1 100 
			 Pullman Car Company Ltd. Dormant 1,244,000 100 
			 Rail Property Ltd. Dormant 1 100 
			 RailDirect Ltd. Dormant 1 100 
			 RFD (Channel Tunnel) Ltd. Dormant 10,100 100 
			 SRA Company Ltd. Dormant 100 100 
			 SRA Transport Ltd. Dormant 5,000 100 
			 Thameslink 2000 Ltd. Dormant 2 100 
			 Tower Rail Ltd. Dormant 2 100 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. No current turnover figures are available for the dormant companies or the recently formed companies.
	2. The latest available figure for BRB (Residuary) Ltd. is £4.7 million for the two months following formation of the subsidiary to the end of March 2001.

East London Line

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the start of construction works on the southern extension of the East London Line.

David Jamieson: London Underground are currently undertaking advance works on the northern extension. The Strategic Rail Authority, together with Transport for London and London Underground, is looking at the programme for the project as a whole, including the southern extension, as part of a project review. The review should be completed in the autumn.

Public Transport (West Sussex)

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to improve co-ordination between local bus and rail services in West Sussex.

John Spellar: As part of the Government's Local Transport Plan process, West Sussex county council are introducing a number of initiatives through their plan to improve links between bus and rail services. These include the upgrade of 6 interchange stations (at Worthing, Chichester, Three Bridges, Haywards Heath, Crawley and Horsham), improvements to Railbus links, particularly with new housing developments, and the introduction and improvement of Passenger Information Terminals and freephone telephone links to the County's travel information line.

Coastal Emergency Planning

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has held with local authorities regarding a new statutory duty for coastal emergency planning.

David Jamieson: As part of the review process which culminated in the publication of the revised "National Contingency Plan for Marine Pollution from Shipping and Offshore Installations" in January 2000, officials of my Department engaged in discussions, in a working group which included representatives of local authorities, on the subject of a statutory duty to plan for shoreline clean-up and to implement such plans following marine pollution incidents.
	More recently, the issue of emergency planning has been addressed in the Government's Emergency Planning Review. In the event of a generic statutory emergency planning duty being introduced under new legislation following that Review, the question would arise as to whether such a duty should apply to coastal local authorities' preparation of contingency plans for shoreline clean-up.

Road Safety

Gillian Merron: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to promote safer driving.

David Jamieson: One of our key road safety goals is to improve the standard of driving and our road safety strategy sets out a number of measures to achieve this. In particular we want to ensure that drivers obtain better skills and gain more experience before they take the driving test.

Quiet Road Surfacing

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 25 June 2002, Official Report, column 776W, on quiet road surfacing, if he will list the proportion of quiet road surfacing in each case according to road classification.

David Jamieson: The information required to answer the question is not recorded centrally.

Rural Bus Challenge

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if he will list the wards served by the projects that are supported by the Rural Bus Challenge;
	(2)  when he will announce the results of the latest Rural Bus Challenge.

David Jamieson: The results of the Rural Bus Challenge 2001 competition were announced in January this year, and we anticipate the results of the 2002 competition to be announced early next year.
	A list of the projects that have been awarded Rural Bus Challenge funding in each of the four competitions since it was introduced in 1998 is deposited in the Library of the House. A total of £69.8 million has been awarded to 213 schemes.

Variable Speed Limits

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research has been conducted (a) by and (b) for his Department on the effect of variable speed limits; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) monitored trials on the effectiveness of variable speed limits outside schools. Variable message signs were installed outside schools that reduced the speed limit typically one hour around school arrival and leaving times. The results showed very little reduction in vehicle speeds and the report concluded that as a speed reducing feature they were ineffective.

Road Maintenance Backlog

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how he will ensure that funds allocated to local authorities to clear the road maintenance backlog are used for this purpose.

David Jamieson: The Best Value regime, introduced by the Local Government Act 1999, requires continuous improvement in highway maintenance. Authorities are required to report annually against Best Value indicators, which measure carriageway condition on all classes of local authority roads.
	DfT is working with local authorities to develop highway management systems which will lead to more consistent standards and a better system for effective targeting of resources.

Light Transport Schemes

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the light rail schemes in operation, giving (a) the start date of operation and (b) the Government body responsible for oversight.

David Jamieson: There are currently six light rail schemes in operation, as listed in the table. The Health and Safety Executive is responsible for the regulation of tram and light rail systems and tram drivers must also comply with certain highways legislation, enforced by the police.
	
		
			 Light rail scheme Start date 
		
		
			 Tyne and Wear Metro Original system opened between 1980 and 1984 
			  Newcastle airport extension opened 1991 
			  Extension to Sunderland and South Hylton opened on 31 March 2002 
			 Docklands Light Railway (London) First phase opened 1987 
			  Bank extension opened 1991 
			  Beckton extension opened 1994 
			  Lewisham extension opened 1999 
			 Manchester Metrolink Altrincham-Bury opened 1992 
			  Extension to Salford Quays and Eccles opened in 1999 and 2000 respectively 
			 South Yorkshire Supertram (Sheffield) Opened in stages during 1994–95 
			 Midland Metro Opened in 1999 
			 Croydon Tramlink Opened in June 2000

Light Transport Schemes

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many light rail passengers there have been in each of the last five years.

David Jamieson: The following is the most recent information available:
	
		Million 
		
			  Year Number of light rail passenger journeys 
		
		
			 1996–97 73 
			 1997–98 79 
			 1998–99 85 
			 1999–2000 94 
			 2000–01 120

Light Transport Schemes

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on each proposed light rail scheme under consideration.

David Jamieson: The light rail schemes currently being appraised by the Department for Transport on which promoters are seeking a provisional view before possible Transport and Works Act applications, are as follows:
	Merseytram Line 1
	Manchester Metrolink—Stockport Extension.
	In addition, my officials are also appraising the proposed upgrade to the Blackpool Tramway.

Light Transport Schemes

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 25 June 2002, Official Report, column 773W, on light transport schemes, if he will (a) list the occasions on which his Department has met the promoters of individual schemes, giving the scheme and promoter in each case, (b) list the schemes to which information, support and guidance has been given and (c) list the occasions on which workshops on light rail and guided bus schemes have taken place, giving the scheme on each occasion, since 7 June 2001.

David Jamieson: The following charts contain the available information on meetings and workshops. In addition, information, support and guidance has been provided by my Department and the relevant Government Office to the promoters of every scheme to the extent requested, by telephone, email or post.
	
		List A—Meetings held with promoters of light rail schemes since 7 June 2001
		
			 Scheme and Promoter Number of meetings 
		
		
			 Blackpool Tram—Blackpool borough council 2 
			 Bristol and South Gloucestershire Tram Scheme—Bristol city council and South Gloucester council 3 
			 Croydon Tramlink 2 
			 Docklands LR 1 
			 Hull LRT—Hull city council 1 
			 Leeds Supertram—West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive 3 
			 Manchester Metrolink Extensions—Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive 9 
			 Merseytram—Merseytravel 5 
			 Midland Metro—Centro 1 
			 Nottingham Express Transit—Nottingham city council 3 
			 South Hampshire Rapid Transit—Hampshire county council 2 
			 South Yorkshire Supertram Extensions—South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive 3 
			   
			  Meetings held with promoters of guided bus schemes since 7 June 2001 
			 Barnsley Interchange and Busway—South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive 1 
			 South Bradford Integrated Transport Scheme—Bradford city council 1 
			 Cambridge Guided Bus—Cambridge county council 1 
			 Cambridge Guided Bus—Cambridge Rapid Transport System (Commercial) 1 
			 Chester Deeside Transport Scheme—Chester city council 2 
			 Doncaster Bus—South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive 4 
			 Crawley Fastway—West Sussex county council 3 
			 Kent Fastrack—Kent county council 2 
			 Leeds A65—West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive 1 
			 Luton-Dunstable Translink—Bedfordshire county council and Luton borough council 5 
		
	
	
		List B—Workshops
		
			 Workshops   
		
		
			 Workshop on monitoring processes for light rail schemes in operation 29 June 2001 Approximately 45 attended from various promoters. 
			 Workshop on light rail appraisal 21 February 2002 Approximately 45 attended from various promoters. 
			 Workshop on other major public transport schemes including guided bus 1 March 2002 Approximately 50 attended from various promoters. 
			 'Surgery' on funding/appraisal issues before submission of annual progress reports (31 July 2002) 19 and 20 June 2002 Attendance included one guided bus scheme.

Road Widening

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what schemes for road widening under the 10-year plan have been (a) proposed, (b) accepted and (c) started; what the location and length of road is in each case; what research has been conducted into the effects on (i) traffic, (ii) safety, (iii) congestion, (iv) social and environmental impacts and (v) economic effects in each case; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: There are currently 15 on-line widening schemes in our targeted programme of improvements (TPI). As with all such schemes a substantial amount of assessment work is undertaken which looks at the current situation and the impact of the proposals. This is published during the statutory procedures and may be debated at a public inquiry, if one is necessary, and then by the Secretary of State when deciding whether to authorise the making of the necessary orders.
	The following such schemes are under construction:
	A1 Willowburn to Denwick Improvement (Northumberland—4.2km)
	A11 Roudham Heath to Attleborough Dualling (Norfolk—9.9km)
	A43 M40 to B4031 Dualling (Oxfordshire—6.5km)
	A46 Newark to Lincoln Improvement (Lincolnshire—28km).
	Construction on the following will start in the next financial year:
	M25 J12–15 Widening (Surrey—10.9km)
	M60 J5–8 (Greater Manchester—7.4km).
	And statutory procedures have still to be completed on the following schemes:
	A74(M) Carlisle to Guardsmill upgrading to motorway (Cumbria—9km)
	A1 Bramham to Wetherby (N. Yorkshire—9km)
	A1 Dishforth to Leeming (N. Yorkshire—22km)
	A1 Leeming to Barton (N. Yorkshire—16km)
	A2 Bean to Cobham Widening Phase 1 (Kent—4.1km)
	A2 Bean to Cobham Widening Phase 2 (Kent—6.5km)
	A11 Fiveways to Thetford Improvement (Suffolk—14.9km)
	A11 Attleborough Bypass Improvement (Norfolk—5.5km)
	A46 Newark to Widmerpool Improvement (Nottinghamshire—28km).
	Other widening schemes have been proposed as possible solutions to transport problems being investigated under the programme of multi-modal (MMS) and road based studies. So far the only widening scheme which the Secretary of State has accepted coming out of an MMS is the proposal to widen the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon and the Cambridge Northern Bypass. The Highways Agency are now undertaking more detailed work on the scheme design than was possible during the study with a view to it being added to the TPI in the near future. Again substantial work will be undertaken on all the effects of the scheme during future statutory processes.

Journey Times

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent research has been conducted (a) for and (b) by his Department on predicting journey times for (i) freight, (ii) passengers and (iii) car journeys; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The Highways Agency has carried out research to investigate the feasibility of providing road users with predictions of journey times to selected local destinations, such as airports, for display on variable message signs.
	The Highways Agency has recently completed a study of journey times experienced around motorways in the west midlands and is presently considering options for wider promulgation of the results of the study.
	The Highways Agency is also analysing the suitability of journey time data collected by a number of systems both within the Agency and developed by the private sector, for the purposes of scheme evaluation by the Agency.
	The Department is undertaking research at present to provide a better understanding of the causes of journey time variability in congested conditions on motorways.

EU Working Time Directive

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) guidance and (b) legislation (i) has been given or is in place and (ii) is planned by his Department on the EU Working Time Directive; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: My Department is responsible for implementing the EU directive on the organisation of the working time of persons performing mobile road transport activities (2002/15/EC). This directive was published in the Official Journal of the European Communities on 23 March 2002, and is scheduled to come into force in the UK by 23 March 2005.
	No formal guidance on the directive has been produced at this stage. However, we are currently consulting with key representatives from both sides of industry on the transposition of the directive.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry is responsible for guidance on and the implementation of domestic legislation relating to the original working time directive (93/104/EC) and the horizontal amending directive (2000/34/EC).

Channel Tunnel

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 11 June 2002, Official Report, column 1133W, on the Channel Tunnel, for what reason Government policy towards payment for security measures at the Channel Tunnel has changed; and for what reason the SRA will be asked to contribute to such costs.

David Jamieson: There has been no change in policy. The SRA originally offered assistance, which is for security at the Frethun freight yard, not the tunnel itself, in December last year. The objective is to bring forward to the earliest possible date the resumption of full and reliable international rail freight services.

Cycling

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many cycling trips were made and what the total distance travelled by cyclists was in each of the last four years.

David Jamieson: Figures for Great Britain from the national Travel Survey are as follows:
	
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 
		
		
			 Trips per person per year 18 15 17 16 
			 Stages per person per year 18 15 17 17 
			 Distance per person per year 41 36 42 37 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures for 2001 are not yet available. Stages include all travel by bicycle but trips only include those where cycling was the main mode of travel. Averages are taken over all the population living in households, not just cyclists. The volatility of the single year figures is likely to be a result of the relatively small sample sizes and the geographical clustering of the sample. Cycling patterns over individual years are also very dependent on the weather.

Cycling

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research he has commissioned into making (a) cycling and (b) walking routes safer; if he will place a copy in the Library; and if he will list those schemes introduced in the last two years in order to make these routes safer.

David Jamieson: Details of a number of current research projects on cycling and walking are listed in the "Road Safety Research, Compendium of Research Projects 2001–02" and in "Roads and Local Transport Research Programme Compendium of Research Projects 2000–01". The compendia are updated at regular intervals, deposited at the House of Commons Library, and are available on the Department's website. A list of schemes to make walking and cycling routes safer is not recorded centrally.

Cycling

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what Government funding was provided directly for cycle lanes in each of the last four years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much money was allocated to local authorities in each of the last four years for the provision of cycle lanes.

David Jamieson: The Department has not funded any cycle lanes in the last four years. Since December 1999 local transport capital allocations have been provided to English local authorities outside London through the local transport plan system. Apart from major local transport schemes (those with a gross cost exceeding £5 million) funding is allocated in the form of a single block allocation the use of which is at the authorities discretion. Such funds can be used to implement cycle lanes but it is for authorities to decide their local priorities.
	In the first three years of local transport plan system, total single block allocations were as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 2002–03 1,200 
			 2003–04 1,100 
			 2004–05 514 
		
	
	Comparable figures for 1999–2000 are not available.

Cycling

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total length of cycle lanes is in the UK; and what percentage of these are (a) on the side of the carriageway, (b) on the pavement and (c) independent of a road or pavement.

David Jamieson: This information is not held centrally. Local cycling strategies contain plans for up to 4,300 km of new cycle routes in England by 2005, but it is for individual local traffic authorities to monitor and hold the details of cycle lane provision in the area they control.

Multi-modal Studies

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) guidance has been given by his Department and (b) legislation is in place with regard to the methodology for multi-modal studies (i) proposals and (ii) assessment; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The Department issued Guidance on the Methodology for Multi-Modal Studies (GOMMMS) in March 2000. In addition one errata; two supplementary pieces of GOMMMS guidance; and a report commissioned by the Department on 'Soft Factors Likely To Affect Travel Demand' have been published since that date. All of these documents can be found on the Departmental website at:
	http://www.roads.dft.gov.uk/roadnetwork/heta/hetapubs.htm
	There is no legislation in place relating to the methodology for multi-modal studies.

Multi-modal Studies

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  pursuant to his answer of 25 June 2002, Official Report, columns 769–70W, on multi-modal studies, if he will list the (a) number, (b) type, (c) length, (d) expected impact on the numbers of passengers and journeys and (e) expected impacts on congestion and pollution of bus schemes (i) proposed, (ii) accepted and (iii) under way for each of the multi-modal studies that have reported;
	(2)  pursuant to his answer of 25 June 2002, Official Report, columns 769–70W, on multi-modal studies, if he will list the (a) number, (b) type, (c) length, (d) expected impact on the numbers of passengers and journeys and freight volume and (e) expected impacts on congestion and pollution of rail schemes (i) proposed, (ii) accepted and (iii) underway for each of the multi- modal studies that have reported.

David Jamieson: The multi-modal studies are strategic transport studies which examine the contribution that combinations of measures, covering, among other things, roads, rail, public transport and behavioural change initiatives, could make to resolving the transport problems in the study areas. Information about specific measures in isolation is not available in the detail requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Multi-modal Studies

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 25 June 2002, Official Report, columns 769–70W, on multi-modal studies, if he will list the (a) number, (b) type, (c) length, (d) expected impact on the number of road journeys and freight volumes and (e) expected impacts on congestion and pollution of road building schemes (i) proposed, (ii) accepted and (iii) underway for each of the multi- modal studies that have reported.

David Jamieson: The Multi-Modal Studies are strategic transport studies which examine the contribution that combinations of measures, covering, among other things, roads, rail, public transport and behavioural change initiatives, could make to resolving the transport problems in the study areas. Information about specific measures in isolation is not available in the detail requested and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Multi-modal Studies

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 25 June 2002, Official Report, columns 769–70W, on multi-modal studies, if he will list the (a) number, (b) type, (c) length, (d) expected impact on the numbers of passengers and journeys and freight volume and (e) expected impacts on congestion and pollution of rail schemes (i) proposed, (ii) accepted and (iii) underway for each of the multi- modal studies that have reported.

David Jamieson: The Multi-Modal Studies are strategic transport studies which examine the contribution that combinations of measures, covering, among other things, roads, rail, public transport and behavioural change initiatives, could make to resolving the transport problems in the study areas. Information about specific measures in isolation is not available in the detail requested and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Multi-modal Studies

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 25 June 2002, Official Report, columns 769–70W, on multi-modal studies, if he will list the (a) number, (b) type, (c) length, (d) expected impact on the numbers of passengers and journeys and (e) expected impacts on congestion and pollution of light rail, tram and guided busway schemes (i) proposed, (ii) accepted and (iii) underway for each of the multi-modal studies that have reported.

David Jamieson: The Multi-Modal Studies are strategic transport studies which examine the contribution that combinations of measures, covering, among other things, roads, rail, public transport and behavioural change initiatives, could make to resolving the transport problems in the study areas. Information about specific measures in isolation is not available in the detail requested and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Multi-modal Studies

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 25 June 2002, Official Report, columns 769–70W, on multi-modal studies, if he will list the (a) number, (b) type, (c) length, (d) expected impact on the numbers of journeys and (e) expected impacts on congestion and pollution of cycle lane and footpath schemes (i) proposed, (ii) accepted and (iii) under way for each of the multi-modal studies that have reported.

David Jamieson: The Multi-Modal Studies are strategic transport studies which examine the contribution that combinations of measures, covering, among other things, roads, rail, public transport and behavioural change initiatives, could make to resolving the transport problems in the study areas. Information about specific measures in isolation is not available in the detail requested and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

CABINET OFFICE

Regulatory Impact Assessments

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he is taking to ensure that regulatory impact assessments are consistent between Government Departments.

Douglas Alexander: The Cabinet Office issues guidance to Departments on producing regulatory impact assessments. This guidance follows the methodology set out in the Treasury publication "Appraisal and Evaluation in Central Government", and it is currently being updated and reviewed. It will be subject to a public consultation starting in the summer. The final version will be issued by the end of 2002.

Emergency Planning Procedures

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will make a statement on changes to emergency planning procedures implemented since June 2001.

Douglas Alexander: Since June 2001, the Government has carefully reviewed civil protection arrangements across the UK. As a result, measures have been taken by Government Departments, the emergency services and local authorities to improve assessment, detection, protection, planning and response to a wide range of threats.

Deregulation

Paul Flynn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what new proposals he has to improve the efficiency of Government Departments by means of deregulation.

Douglas Alexander: The Office of Public Service Reform (OPSR) is working on several projects that aim to reform the workings of Central Government. They include:
	The Departmental Change Programme is designed to ensure that Government Departments and services are equipped to achieve a step change in delivery of outcomes, consistent with the four principles of public service reform.
	Improving Programme and Project Delivery to improve the civil service's capability and capacity to deliver efficient Government.
	The Regulatory Impact Unit has developed collaboratively with other Departments the Policy effects framework; a strategy for avoiding unnecessary bureaucratic from new policy.

Performance and Innovation Unit

Dari Taylor: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list his Department's responsibilities with regard to the Performance and Innovation Unit.

Douglas Alexander: As announced on 24 June, the Performance and Innovation Unit will be brought together with the Forward Strategy Unit to form a single unit called the Strategy Unit.
	The Strategy Unit will carry out long-term strategic reviews and policy analysis which can take several forms:
	long-term strategic reviews of major areas of policy;
	studies of cross-cutting policy issues;
	strategic audit, (eg where do the Government stand in relation to their main objectives?); and
	working with Departments to promote strategic thinking and improve policy making across Whitehall.
	I will support the Prime Minister by taking on a ministerial sponsorship role in relation to the work of the Strategy Unit. Lord Macdonald of Tradeston is the sponsor Minister for the current PIU project on risk and uncertainty.

Committee on Standards in Public Life

Neil Turner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if the Government plan to submit written evidence to the Committee on Standards in Public Life as a part of its inquiry defining the boundaries within the Executive.

Douglas Alexander: The Government have today submitted written evidence to the Committee on Standards in Public Life as part of its inquiry into 'Defining the Boundaries within the Executive'. Copies of the submission have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

DEFENCE

Ministerial Meetings (NATO)

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met the Secretary-General of NATO; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: I met Lord Robertson on 6–7 June at the NATO Defence Ministers Meeting in Brussels.
	The meeting was an important step in the Alliance's preparation for the NATO Prague Summit in November. Alliance Defence Ministers agreed on the need to: improve capabilities, including defence against the threat of terrorism; enlarge in a way that enhances collective security; build on the new security relationship with Russia; develop a more substantive relationship with partners; and adapt to modernise NATO's structures and processes.

Gulf War Syndrome

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department recognises Gulf War Syndrome as a medical condition; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 13 June 2002
	My Department does not recognise "Gulf War Syndrome" as a medical condition. It accepts that some veterans of the 1990–91 Gulf conflict have become ill and that many attribute this ill health to their Gulf experience. A large number of multi-system, multi-organ, non-specific, medically unexplained symptoms have been reported by some Gulf veterans as well as recognised medical conditions. The overwhelming consensus of the scientific and medical community is that there is insufficient evidence to enable this ill-health to be characterised as a unique illness or "syndrome".

Military Sites (Wales)

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide a list of active military sites in Wales.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence has the following active military establishments in Wales. The list excludes housing and Territorial Army and Cadet sites not owned by MOD.
	Flintshire
	Army Rifle Range
	RAF Sealand
	Moel-Y-Parc Army Training Camp, Nr. Denbigh, Denbighshire/ Flintshire Hawarden Weather Station, Hawarden Airport, Hawarden
	Conwy
	Capel Curig, Army Camp
	Weather Station Garth farm
	Joint Training Centre—Tal-y-Bont Road, Llanrwst
	Denbighshire
	Craig-Y-Ddualt—Army Radio Station—Nr. Llangollen
	Gwaenysgor—Army Radio Station, Gwaenysgor
	Rhyl, Army Camp (Kinmel Park), Bodelwyddan, Rhyl
	Gwynedd
	Bethesda Mountain Rescue Post, Bethesda
	Fairbourne, RAF Training Centre, Plas yr Antur, Waverley Road,
	Fairbourne, Llanuwchlyn—Seismic Research Station, Llanuwchlyn
	Mynydd Rhiw—Army Radio Station
	Tywyn—JSMTC (Morfa Camp), Tywyn
	Uwchmynydd—Weather Station, Nr. Aberdaron
	Isle of Anglesey
	Almwch—Hi-Fix Station, Llam Carw, Amlwch
	Holyhead—RAF Radio Station, llaingoch, Holyhead
	Llanddona—Army Radio Station, BBC Radio Transmitting Station
	Llanfair P. G—JSMTC, Plas Llanfair, Llanfair P. G
	Menai Bridge Army Camp, Ynys Gaint, Menai Bridge
	RAF Mona Airfield, Nr. Llangefni
	Ty-Croes RAF Radar Site, Ty Croes
	RAF Valley
	Powys
	Llansilin Army Rifle Range, Llansilin
	The Barracks, Brecon
	Dering Lines Camp
	Cwrt-y-Gollen Camp
	Radio Station, Newton
	Sennybridge, Camp and Army Training Area
	Training Area, Pentwyn Farm, Llywel (Nr. Sennybridge)
	HMS Excellent, Training Centre, Pant-y-Rhiw (Nr. Brecon)
	Automatic Weather Stations, Llandulas and Lake Vyrnwy
	Wrexham
	Hightown Barracks
	Tri-Service CIO, Halkyn House, 21 Rhosddu Road
	Monmouthshire
	Army Training Area, North Caerwent Village
	Army Training Area, Sudbrook, Portskewitt
	Seven Tunnel, Rifle Range, Caldicott
	Training Area, Pwllholm and Vauxhall Camps
	Base Camp, Ty-Isaf (Nr. Abergavenny)
	Newport
	Raglan Barracks
	ACIO, 4–5 Kingsway Shopping Centre
	Pembrokeshire
	Cawdor Barracks (including radio sites) Brawdy
	Range facilities, Old Castle Head
	Misc sites, Pembroke Dock
	Penally Camp and Rifle Range, Penally
	Army Training Area, Templeton Airfield, Nr. Tenby
	Marine Salvage Depot, Fort Road
	Marine Craft Unit, Masonry Pier (part) Tenby
	Armament Depot, Llanfair-nant-y-gof, Letterston
	ATC Accommodation, Victoria Road
	ATC Accommodation, Tenby Railway Station
	East Blockhouse (Nr. Milford)
	Swansea
	AFCIO, 17–19 Castle Street
	DSDC Llangennech
	ATC HQ Gliding School, Swansea Airport
	ATC Accommodation, 2nd floor, 10 Caer Street
	Cardiff
	AFCO and Met Office, Southgate House
	RNR Training Centre, HMS Cambria, Bute Docks,
	Barry Airfield
	AWE Cardiff, Llanishen, Caerphilly Road
	Museum, Tower and Portcullis Chamber
	Carmarthenshire
	AWE Siesmic site, Nr. Lampeter
	Range facilities Pen-y-wayn (Nr. Carmarthen)
	Bombing Ranger, Nr. Llanelli
	Training Area and Ranges, Maesbwlch Farm, Llandovery
	Vale of Glamorgan
	RAF St. Athan,
	HMS Cambria (Mooring facilities No.2 Dock)
	ACIO, 8 Gelliwasted Road, Rhondda
	Dock Fortifications, Port and Harbour, Neath/Port Talbot
	ATC Accommodation, Nr. Merthyr Tydfil
	Pendine, Carmarthenshire
	Llanbedr—Gwynedd.
	Aberport Main Site, Pendine and Llanbedr are all operated by QinetiQ on behalf of MOD which retains ownership. There are a number of minor observation posts of insignificant size associated with these operations.
	In addition, there are various radio masts.

Kenley Airfield

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he plans to change the use of Kenley airfield, Croydon; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Kenley airfield is currently used by the Air Cadets Voluntary Gliding School. There are no plans to change this usage for the foreseeable future.

Chinook

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons flight data and cockpit voice recorders were not fitted to the RAF Chinook HC2 fleet upon its entry into service.

Adam Ingram: The Chinook was introduced into RAF service in 1980 at a time when it was not the Ministry of Defence's policy to install flight data recorders into military aircraft. Since then the policy has changed and such equipment is now installed in all new aircraft.
	The decision on retrofitting existing aircraft is considered carefully against a number of factors, such as the type's remaining in-service life, flight safety record, cost and operational considerations. As a result of such considerations, a decision was taken (before the Mull of Kintyre accident) to install an accident data recorder and a cockpit voice recorder, as part of the helicopter health and usage monitoring system modification. This modification has now been installed in the entire in-service Chinook fleet.

Asymmetric Surface Threats

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his Department's work to increase the protection for Royal Navy warships against asymmetric surface threats operating in the littoral; what trials his Department has conducted to evaluate current and future warship weaponry against such threats; and when such trials were begun.

Adam Ingram: It is not our policy to comment on the specific details of measures taken to protect fleet units against asymmetric attack, and I am withholding this information in accordance with Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information which relates to defence, security and international relations. The Royal Navy keeps tactics and measures in this area under constant review. Trials and training are conducted on a regular basis.

Balkans

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the UK military commitment to the Balkans.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 13 June 2002, Official Report, columns 1343–44, to my hon. Friend the Member for Broxtowe (Dr. Palmer).
	Discussions are continuing on how we will adjust our troop contributions in light of the Joint Operational Area Review.

Helicopters

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the replacement of (a) Lynx, (b) Gazelle and (c) Sea King helicopters at RNAS Yeovilton.

Adam Ingram: The Battlefield Light Utility Helicopter project, planned to enter service from the middle of this decade, is intended to replace the capability provided by the Lynx Marks 7 and 9 and the Gazelle. The Surface Combatant Maritime Rotorcraft (SCMR) project will replace the capability currently provided by the Maritime Lynx Marks 3 and 8. SCMR is currently planned to enter service towards the end of this decade. A number of existing helicopter designs are potentially able to meet these requirements, including the Future Lynx proposal from Westlands Helicopter Ltd., and these will be considered further in the assessment phases of these projects.
	The Support Amphibious and Battlefield Rotorcraft programme is designed to replace the capability provided by the Sea King Mk4 early in the next decade. The project is in its early stages and we have yet to decide on how the capability requirement will best be met.
	On current plans the Lynx, Gazelle and Sea King helicopters (and their replacements) currently based at RNAS Yeovilton will continue to be based there. The planning assumption for naval helicopters to remain at Yeovilton will be reviewed when the Harrier force departs in 2006.

Amber Fox

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are for the EU to take over the operation Amber Fox; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: NATO has been invited by the Macedonian Government to extend the mandate of Operation Amber Fox for a further four months until 26 October 2002. The Netherlands took over from Germany as lead nation on 26 June 2002.
	At its recent meeting in Seville, the European Council expressed the European Union's willingness to take over from NATO in Macedonia at the end of NATO's current mandate provided that the permanent arrangements between the EU and NATO are in place by then.
	Any follow-on mission would be at the invitation of the Macedonian Government.

Sub-continent (Weapons Capability)

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations his Department has received concerning the acquisition by India of Hawk aircrew training simulators.

Geoff Hoon: I am not aware of any such representations.

Sub-continent (Weapons Capability)

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what discussions he has held with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry since December 2001 regarding arms export licence grants to (a) India and (b) Pakistan;
	(2)  what licence applications his Department has examined for arms exports to (a) Pakistan and (b) India since January 2000; and how many his Department (i) supported and (ii) opposed.

Geoff Hoon: I am withholding this information in accordance with Exemption 2 (Internal Discussions and Advice) of Part II of the Government's Code of Practice on Access to Government information.

Sub-continent (Weapons Capability)

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on arms sales to India and Pakistan.

Geoff Hoon: All relevant export licence applications for India and Pakistan are considered on a case by case basis against the Consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria, in the light of the answer given on 15 March 2002, Official Report, columns 1296–98W by my hon. Friend the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Bradshaw) to my hon. Friend the Member for Edmonton (Mr. Love). The Government are keeping a very close eye on developments in the region and continue to apply the Consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria carefully and rigorously.

DECS PPP

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what savings he expects to achieve for the DECS PPP (a) as a result of changes in management practice and (b) as a result of inventory effectiveness; and what savings the DECS PPP has achieved so far.

Adam Ingram: The Defence Electronic Commerce Services (DECS) Public Private Partnership (PPP) provides an electronic portal and associated infrastructure through which we can do business more effectively with our industrial partners. DECS hosts software applications, each of which are contracted individually. The first service, covering e-purchasing, has already enabled the DLO's Non-Project Procurement Office to generate savings of over £350,000 and the savings for May 2002 alone were estimated to exceed £100,000 when compared to the cost of transacting business in the traditional manner. We expect further savings to be generated as the DECS applications are developed and become more widely used across the Department. However, because DECS is designed to enable the defence acquisition community to operate more effectively, savings are not broken out and attributed directly to the system itself, or to management practise or inventory effectiveness.

Defence Attachés

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the overall cost was of defence attachés in each financial year since 1999–2000.

Adam Ingram: The overall cost of defence attachés in each financial year since 1999–2000 is as follows:
	
		£ million 
		
			 Financial year Cost 
		
		
			 1999–2000 23.895 
			 2000–01 25.455 
			 2001–02 28.704

The Queen Mother

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his letter of 25 June to the hon. Member for Pendle, how many service personnel were involved in the funeral of HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

Adam Ingram: 2,922 service personnel, including Commonwealth troops and service chiefs, were involved in the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

Merlin

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to give the Merlin helicopter an air to surface capability.

Adam Ingram: There are no current plans to equip the Merlin helicopter with an air to surface capability. This is being kept under review.

Colchester Garrison

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the Investment Advisory Board has given consideration to the Colchester garrison PFI; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence's Investment Approvals Board advises Ministers on major defence investment projects. The Board expects to consider this project again in the near future.

NATO Defence Ministers' Meeting

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals were made by the US Administration prior to the recent NATO Defence Ministers' meeting; and if he will place the relevant papers and letters from the US Administration in the Library.

Geoff Hoon: This is a matter for the United States Administration.

Royal Navy Bases

David Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future basing of Royal Navy ships and submarines and the future requirement for three naval bases.

Adam Ingram: A joint Royal Navy/Warship Support Agency study team has recently completed a wide-ranging review of the base porting arrangements for Royal Navy warships and Royal Fleet Auxiliaries, and the infrastructure required to support them. Their recommendations have been endorsed by Ministers, and will be implemented subject to trade union consultation.
	The three existing naval bases at Portsmouth, Devonport and Clyde are able to provide sufficient capacity to support the ships and submarines that are in-service, on order or planned.
	The future aircraft carrier—the CVF—will be based at HM naval base Portsmouth. While it should be possible to berth two CVFs in Portsmouth simultaneously, for military reasons this may not be desirable. Options are therefore being considered to make use of an occasional stand-by berth for the high-readiness CVF. Further work on the design, operating patterns and manning are needed before a final decision can be made, although initial indications who show that Southampton could provide such a facility if required.
	As has been previously announced on 26 June 2002, Official Report, column 908W the batches one and two of Astute Class submarines will be based at HM naval base Clyde, and the Trafalgar Class will remain at Devonport.
	With regard to the remainder of the fleet, the T45 Destroyers will progressively replace the T42 Destroyers based at Portsmouth. The two new amphibious ships, HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark, will join HMS Ocean at Devonport, creating an amphibious shipping centre of expertise. The current arrangements for the Vanguard Class nuclear powered ballistic missile Submarines, Frigates, Survey Ships and Minor War Vessels work well and will not be changed.

Type 45 Procurement

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the RAND report on type 45 procurement options has been published; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The RAND report on acquisition options for the type 45 destroyer has now been published. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
	RAND is a very experienced and influential organisation and has been conducting analyses of military shipbuilding, the industrial base, and competition issues for two decades. The Ministry of Defence commissioned RAND last year to carry out an independent study into a range of alternative procurement strategies for our future warship programme over the next 15–20 years, with particular reference to options for type 45 destroyers. This followed receipt of an unsolicited bid from BAES Marine proposing that they should build all 12 ships planned for the class. This differed from the type 45 shipbuilding procurement strategy at that time which envisaged Vosper Thornycroft building one of the first batch of three ships and competing with BAES Marine for later batches.
	Initial results from the study were used to help inform the MOD's decision to proceed with a revised procurement strategy for the type 45, in which each of the two shipbuilders, BAES Marine and Vosper Thornycroft, will be allocated modules (or blocks) of the ship to build. The revised strategy was announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 10 July 2001, Official Report, columns 675–85.
	RAND's analysis indicated that there would be roughly an even chance that competitive production of the type 45 by two shipbuilders would yield about the same overall cost as sole-source production. Noting that a competitive strategy could lead to one shipbuilder building most of the ships, RAND also investigated alternative strategies to direct work to each of the two shipbuilders to keep both involved in building warships.
	The RAND results also suggested that, for strategies that directed type 45 work to a number of shipyards, allocation of blocks is more cost-effective than the allocation of whole ships, because the work force increases productivity as it gains experience of building the same blocks. Such a strategy will also have the advantage of keeping both shipbuilders in the type 45 programme and potentially available to compete for future warship programmes. In addition, the revised strategy is likely to provide better value for money in the longer term than the unsolicited proposal, if it enables competition to be pursued on other warship programmes.
	Following the type 45 decision, RAND continued their study, taking a broader look at the foreseeable balance of demand and supply in the warship building sector, and the potential effects of different procurement approaches. The report does not make specific recommendations concerning procurement strategies for future programmes, although it has helped clarify issues regarding block production (which is likely to be employed for the future carrier). It also provides an indication of the size of work force that will be required to sustain the future programme.
	RAND's work has already helped the MOD to arrive at a pragmatic solution for the type 45. The report will also provide a valuable source of information for further study of the warship building sector.

Amphibious Assault Capability

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which warships capable of providing an amphibious assault capability will be available in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 7 March 2002, Official Report, column 474W, to my hon. Friend the Member for West Bromwich, West (Mr. Bailey). The amphibious assault capability is currently provided by the Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH) HMS Ocean and four Landing Ships Logistic (LSL). Following a series of highly successful operational deployments, HMS Ocean will shortly enter a docking period to conduct essential maintenance and planned capability enhancement, and will be unavailable for tasking until the autumn. During this period the amphibious assault capability could, if required, be provided by HMS Ark Royal in the LPH role and other platforms as may be required.
	In 2003, as well as HMS Ocean and four LSLs, the LPD replacement ship, HMS Albion, will become available to provide our amphibious assault capability. The new ship will be significantly more capable than her predecessor, HMS Fearless, able to deploy embarked forces much more quickly—by air and by sea—and will use new landing craft with 20 per cent. more landing capability and a Ro-Ro type configuration for rapid embarkation of vehicles.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Secondary School Pupils

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on her plans to widen the options for study available to secondary school pupils.

David Miliband: holding answer 1 July 2002
	The Green Paper "14–19: extending opportunities, raising standards", proposed increasing curriculum choice for young people from the age of 14. We aim to make sure that there is sufficient flexibility to allow students to pursue their talents and aspirations while maintaining a strong focus on the basics.
	The consultation on the Green Paper only closed on 31 May. We are reflecting carefully on the views expressed during the consultation before reaching any decisions. We have indicated in the Green Paper that curriculum changes would be subject to further consultation before their introduction.
	In September 2002 we will be introducing eight new vocational GCSEs in some schools. Also, the "Increased Flexibility for 14 to 16-year-olds" programme will enable over 30,000 pupils to undertake part-time vocational courses at further education colleges from September 2002.

Hampshire

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  if she will list the activities pursued by her Department that have had a particular impact on Hampshire since 7 June 2001;
	(2)  if she will list those initiatives of her Department which have been applied in Hampshire since June 2001, indicating the level of financial support provided in each case.

Stephen Twigg: holding answer 21 June 2002
	The information requested has been placed in the Libraries.

School Ethnicity (Portsmouth, South)

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the ethnic ratio is for schools in the Portsmouth, South constituency; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Twigg: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Percentage of pupils by ethnic group(1) in maintained primary and secondary schools in the Portsmouth, South constituency as at January 2001
		
			  Primary Secondary 
		
		
			 White 92.6 94.3 
			 Black Caribbean 0.2 0.1 
			 Black African 0.3 0.1 
			 Black Other 0.4 0.2 
			 Indian 0.6 0.7 
			 Pakistani 0.1 0.1 
			 Bangladeshi 4.3 2.6 
			 Chinese 0.5 0.6 
			 Other 1.0 1.2 
			 All pupils: per cent. 100.0 100.0 
			 Number of pupils 5,735 5,380 
		
	
	(1) Only pupils of compulsory school age and above were classified according to ethnic group.
	Source:
	Annual Schools Census
	Data for 2002 are not yet available by parliamentary constituency.

Annual Leave

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average annual leave entitlement is for staff in her Department in 2002.

Stephen Twigg: The annual leave entitlement of staff outside of the senior civil service is 25 days on entry, rising to 30 days after 10 years service. Entitlement for members of the senior civil service is currently set by the Cabinet Office at 30 days.
	Records of annual leave entitlement are not kept centrally and therefore information about average entitlement could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Special School Budgets

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what calculations she has made about the impact on special school budgets of the introduction of the (a) upper pay spine and (b) management pay spine.

David Miliband: holding answer 1 July 2002
	The threshold constitutes point 1 of the upper pay scale and all threshold payments made to teachers by maintained schools are fully reimbursed by the Department. The rate of subsequent progression along the upper pay scale is for schools to determine in the light of teacher performance and in accordance with the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document. The Department is contributing a grant of £90 million to schools in 2002–03, largely to support such progression.
	Progress along the leadership group pay scale in maintained schools is also by performance points awarded at the discretion of the governing body. Here, the Department is contributing a further grant worth 60 per cent. of the cost in 2002–03 and schools are contributing 40 per cent.
	The grants will support special schools in the same way that they do other maintained schools. The impact on their budgets will depend on the decisions taken by individual schools.

Teachers (Contracts)

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of teachers in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools were employed on temporary and short-term contracts at the latest date for which figures are available.

David Miliband: holding answer 1 July 2002
	In maintained nursery and primary schools in England, teachers on contracts of less than one month, working for the whole day on the third Thursday in January 2002, constituted 5 per cent. of all full-time equivalent teachers. These data are provisional.
	In maintained secondary schools in England, teachers on contracts of less than one month, working for the whole day on the third Thursday in January 2002, constituted 3 per cent. of all full-time equivalent teachers. These data are provisional.

Teachers (Contracts)

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how long it is taking the Criminal Records Bureau to process clearance applications by new teachers; if she estimates that all new teachers due to start in September will have clearance in time; if she has contingency plans should applications not be cleared in time; and if she will make a statement.

David Miliband: holding answer 1 July 2002
	The Criminal Records Bureau estimate that it is currently taking, on average, approximately six weeks to produce Disclosures.
	The CRB is striving hard to improve the situation. A recovery programme has been introduced, and the Bureau's current expectation is that, by August, the present backlog of applications will have been cleared, and the Bureau will be achieving its previously published service standards of providing 90 per cent. of Enhanced Disclosures within three weeks, and 95 per cent. of Standard Disclosures within one week.
	My Department has already put in place contingency arrangements with the CRB. Under those arrangements, CRB staff are trawling the backlog of applications, and checking new applications, to identify those in respect of teachers and other key staff for schools. For those applications the CRB is performing checks of my Departments List 99. If that check is satisfactory the employer or agency will be able to appoint the person provisionally. The full criminal record and police check will be performed and the relevant Disclosure issued by the CRB as soon as possible after that. Those interim arrangements will stay in place until the CRB is fully up to date and meeting its performance standards.

School Absenteeism

Diana Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the rate of absenteeism among pupils at (a) primary level and (b) secondary level during the days of SATS tests has been in this academic year; and what differences there were between these rates and dates before and after the SATS tests.

Stephen Twigg: holding answer 24 June 2002
	Statistics for this academic year's Key Stage tests are not yet available. The following table shows the percentage of pupils recorded as absent in the (a) Key Stage 2 tests and (b) Key Stage 3 test in all schools in England in 2001:
	
		Percentage 
		
			 Subject (a) Key Stage 2 (b) Key Stage 3 
		
		
			 English 1 4 
			 Mathematics 1 4 
			 Science 2 5 
		
	
	Data on rates of absence rates before and after the Key Stage tests are not available.
	Information from the pupil absence survey for 2000–01 showed that 6.5 per cent. of half days were missed due to authorised absences and 0.7 per cent. due to unauthorised absences in all schools in England.

Higher Education

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her answer, Ref 38091, of 5 March 2002, if she will amalgamate information for performance indicators in higher education in the UK to allow comparison to be made of the socio-economic background of students entering all high ranking universities with those entering all other universities.

Margaret Hodge: The entry requirements of higher education institutions will vary from course to course and from year to year. Nevertheless, I have set out data which shows the Performance Indicators for the entry of young people by social class to undergraduate courses. The Government introduced aspirational funding for high ranking universities to support their efforts to recruit more young people from state schools. Institutions which currently receive this funding are listed first, followed by other institutions.
	
		Table T1b: Participation of under-represented groups in higher education, Young full-time undergraduate entrants 1999–2000(2)
		
			 From Social Class IIIM, IV, V  
			 Institution Total entrants Number of young entrants Percentage entrants who are young Percentage with known data Number with known data Number from group Percentage from group Percentage benchmark(3) Number benchmark(3) Percentage Std dev 
		
		
			 UK   
			 All UK institutions 328,646 244,018 74 83 — — 26 — — — 
			
			 England   
			 All English institutions 268,853 197,984 74 84 — — 26 — — — 
			
			 Aspiration funding institutions — — — — 45,025 7,070 16 19 8,484 — 
			 University of Birmingham 3,941 3,569 91 95 3,391 644 19 20 678 0.7 
			 University of Bristol 2,936 2,695 92 84 2,264 249 11 16 362 0.8 
			 University of Cambridge 2,895 2,744 95 98 2,689 242 9 12 323 0.7 
			 City University 1,410 944 67 80 755 211 28 25 189 1.6 
			 University of Durham 2,739 2,496 91 95 2,371 308 13 18 427 0.8 
			 University of Exeter 2,119 1,904 90 95 1,809 271 15 21 380 0.9 
			 Imperial College 1,473 1,386 94 95 1,317 224 17 17 224 1.1 
			 King's College London 2,829 2,164 76 87 1,883 358 19 19 358 0.9 
			 University of Leeds 5,128 4,696 92 91 4,273 684 16 20 855 0.6 
			 University of Liverpool 3,356 3,004 90 93 2,794 615 22 22 615 0.8 
			 London School of Economics and Political Science 562 532 95 95 505 66 13 15 76 1.7 
			 University of Manchester 4,762 3,937 83 89 3,504 631 18 20 701 0.7 
			 University of Newcastle 2,641 2,469 93 95 2,346 375 16 20 469 0.8 
			 University of Nottingham 4,035 3,380 84 90 3,042 456 15 17 517 0.7 
			 School of oriental and African Studies 425 247 58 87 215 39 18 21 45 2.8 
			 University of Oxford 3,055 2,933 96 97 2,845 256 9 13 370 0.7 
			 Oxford Brookes University 2,579 1,846 72 95 1,754 333 19 29 509 1.0 
			 University of Reading 2,189 1,922 88 92 1,768 301 17 22 389 1.0 
			 Royal Holloway, University of London 1,190 1,081 91 97 1,049 189 18 22 231 1.3 
			 Royal Veterinary College 124 117 94 97 113 11 10 12 14 3.5 
			 St. George's Hospital Medical School 259 209 81 95 199 28 14 16 32 2.7 
			 University College London 2,453 2,120 86 93 1,972 276 14 18 355 0.9 
			 University of Warwick 2,395 2,259 94 96 2,169 304 14 17 369 0.8 
			
			 Non-Aspiration funding Institutions — — — — 120,731 35,849 30 29 34,788 — 
			 Anglia Polytechnic University 3,579 1,965 55 68 1,336 441 33 32 428 1.2 
			 Aston University 1,168 1,067 91 93 992 327 33 24 238 1.4 
			 University of Bath 1,654 1,513 91 93 1,407 267 19 21 295 1.1 
			 Bath Spa University College 1,010 616 61 89 548 164 30 29 159 1.9 
			 Bishop Grosseteste College 234 197 84 94 185 56 30 30 56 3.2 
			 Bolton Institute of Higher Education 1,323 649 49 62 402 165 41 33 133 2.3 
			 Bournemouth University 2,758 2,041 74 82 1,674 351 21 29 485 1.0 
			 University of Bradford 1,706 1,318 77 83 1,094 361 33 27 295 1.3 
			 Bretton Hall 553 421 76 92 387 128 33 27 105 2.2 
			 University of Brighton 3,658 2,118 58 86 1,821 437 24 30 546 1.0 
			 Brunel University 2,763 2,104 76 90 1,894 568 30 27 511 1.0 
			 Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College 2,239 1,458 65 64 933 299 32 33 308 1.5 
			 Canterbury Christ Church University College 1,678 1,015 60 82 832 225 27 31 258 1.5 
			 University of Central England in Birmingham 3,872 2,455 63 63 1,547 603 39 31 479 1.2 
			 University of Central Lancashire 5,128 3,228 63 64 2,066 702 34 31 640 1.0 
			 Central School of Speech and Drama 131 96 73 89 85 15 18 25 21 4.4 
			 Chester College of Higher Education 1,480 1,025 69 78 800 248 31 29 232 1.6 
			 University College Chichester 1,147 646 56 89 575 172 30 31 178 1.8 
			 Coventry University 3,307 2,470 75 85 2,100 777 37 32 672 1.0 
			 Cranfield University 228 189 83 59 112 23 21 30 33 3.8 
			 Cumbria College of Art and Design 230 167 73 84 140 55 39 33 46 3.8 
			 Dartington College of Arts 156 99 63 88 87 20 23 29 25 4.5 
			 De Montfort University 5,351 4,036 75 80 3,229 1,162 36 31 1,001 0.8 
			 University of Derby 3,223 2,202 68 77 1,696 576 34 32 543 1.1 
			 University of East Anglia 1,972 1,490 76 90 1,341 268 20 23 308 1.1 
			 University of East London 2,891 1,369 47 67 917 367 40 34 312 1.5 
			 Edge Hill College of Higher Education 1,638 1,015 62 78 792 277 35 31 245 1.6 
			 University of Essex 1,104 920 83 93 856 205 24 26 222 1.5 
			 Falmouth College of Arts 365 266 73 90 239 55 23 28 67 2.7 
			 University of Gloucestershire 2,140 1,587 74 88 1,397 377 27 31 433 1.2 
			 Goldsmiths College 1,118 701 63 90 631 126 20 24 151 1.6 
			 University of Greenwich 3,353 2,049 61 71 1,455 495 34 33 480 1.2 
			 Harper Adams University College 388 321 83 83 266 43 16 24 64 2.3 
			 University of Hertfordshire 3,934 2,711 69 78 2,115 740 35 32 677 1.0 
			 Homerton College, Cambridge 400 251 63 65 163 29 18 21 34 3.1 
			 University of Huddersfield 3,556 2,460 69 82 2,017 746 37 32 646 1.0 
			 University of Hull 2,160 1,662 77 89 1,479 355 24 24 355 1.1 
			 Keele University 1,438 1,190 83 88 1,047 230 22 24 251 1.3 
			 University of Kent at Canterbury 1,766 1,501 85 89 1,336 307 23 24 321 1.2 
			 Kent Institute of Art and Design 450 326 72 85 277 89 32 30 83 2.7 
			 King Alfred's College, Winchester 1,011 806 80 93 750 202 27 30 225 1.6 
			 Kingston University 3,498 2,417 69 79 1,909 611 32 31 592 1.0 
			 Lancaster University 2,020 1,868 92 94 1,756 386 22 22 386 1.0 
			 Leeds Metropolitan University 5,050 3,667 73 77 2,824 819 29 32 904 0.8 
			 University of Leicester 2,071 1,932 93 94 1,816 381 21 21 381 1.0 
			 University of Lincoln 2,555 1,767 69 87 1,537 553 36 32 492 1.1 
			 Liverpool Hope 1,440 1,060 74 70 742 267 36 31 230 1.6 
			 Liverpool John Moores University 4,626 3,346 72 73 2,443 830 34 29 708 0.9 
			 University of London (Institutes and activities) 66 56 85 93 52 13 25 16 8 5.7 
			 London Guildhall University 2,605 1,487 57 72 1,071 407 38 33 353 1.4 
			 The London Institute 2,029 1,307 64 81 1,059 275 26 29 307 1.3 
			 Loughborough University 2,562 2,433 95 95 2,311 508 22 24 555 0.9 
			 University of Luton 1,834 1,129 62 63 711 277 39 34 242 1.7 
			 UMIST 1,233 1,135 92 91 1,033 248 24 24 248 1.3 
			 Manchester Metropolitan University 6,398 4,739 74 77 3,649 1,168 32 30 1,095 0.7 
			 Middlesex University 4,896 2,778 57 72 2,000 720 36 33 660 1.0 
			 Newman College 349 259 74 90 233 105 45 32 75 3.0 
			 University College Northampton 2,768 1,993 72 77 1,535 552 36 32 491 1.1 
			 University of North London 3,114 1,618 52 62 1,003 421 42 35 351 1.4 
			 North Riding College 447 298 67 91 271 89 33 30 81 2.6 
			 Northern School of Contemporary Dance 36 31 86 0 — — — — — — 
			 University of Northumbria at Newcastle 5,415 3,690 68 84 3,100 930 30 30 930 0.8 
			 Norwich School of Art and Design 245 173 71 83 144 42 29 28 40 3.6 
			 Nottingham Trent University 5,297 3,957 75 88 3,482 940 27 28 975 0.7 
			 School of Pharmacy 123 98 80 91 89 23 26 23 21 4.5 
			 University of Plymouth 5,206 3,356 64 76 2,551 689 27 30 765 0.9 
			 University of Portsmouth 3,162 2,446 77 85 2,079 541 26 29 603 0.9 
			 Queen Mary, University of London 1,886 1,675 89 92 1,541 431 28 24 370 1.1 
			 Ravensbourne College 277 184 66 78 144 39 27 30 43 3.6 
			 Rose Bruford College 171 143 84 88 126 19 15 24 30 3.5 
			 Royal Academy of Music 61 56 92 0 — — — — — — 
			 Royal College of Music 72 67 93 0 — — — — — — 
			 Royal Northern College of Music 104 100 96 0 — — — — — — 
			 College of St. Mark and St. John 666 439 66 90 395 134 34 32 126 2.2 
			 St. Martin's College 1,278 869 68 84 730 241 33 31 226 1.6 
			 St. Mary's College 605 548 91 93 510 163 32 28 143 2.0 
			 University of Salford 3,849 2,506 65 76 1,905 648 34 30 571 1.0 
			 University of Sheffield 4,090 3,315 81 89 2,950 502 17 18 531 0.7 
			 Sheffield Hallam University 5,584 4,311 77 88 3,794 1,176 31 30 1,138 0.7 
			 University of Southampton 4,111 3,326 81 89 2–960 503 17 22 651 0.7 
			 Southampton Institute 3,941 2,763 70 70 1,934 542 28 32 619 1.0 
			 South Bank University 3,518 1,544 44 56 865 303 35 34 294 1.5 
			 Staffordshire University 3,889 2,891 74 82 2,371 830 35 32 759 0.9 
			 University of Sunderland 2,616 1,878 72 96 1,803 631 35 32 577 1.1 
			 The Surrey Institute of Art and Design University College 794 656 83 89 584 158 27 29 169 1.8 
			 University of Surrey 1,272 996 78 84 837 176 21 25 209 1.4 
			 University of Surrey Roehampton 1,703 1,186 70 89 1,056 317 30 30 317 1.3 
			 University of Sussex 1,667 1,351 81 95 1,283 205 16 22 282 1.1 
			 University of Teesside 2,794 1,770 63 87 1,540 693 45 34 524 1.2 
			 Thames Valley University 2,272 850 37 48 408 143 35 36 147 2.2 
			 Trinity and All Saints 655 586 89 91 533 149 28 27 144 1.9 
			 Trinity College of Music 88 79 90 0 — — — — — — 
			 University of West of England, Bristol 5,765 4,273 74 79 3,376 743 22 28 945 0.7 
			 University of Westminster 2,986 1,900 64 81 1,539 585 38 32 492 1.2 
			 Westminster College, Oxford 69 50 72 92 46 13 28 31 14 6.2 
			 Wimbledon School of Art 119 83 70 90 75 20 27 26 19 5.0 
			 University of Wolverhampton 4,639 2,841 61 71 2,017 948 47 33 666 1.0 
			 University College Worcester 1,261 706 56 87 612 190 31 33 202 1.8 
			 Writtle College 338 213 63 81 173 41 24 24 41 3.0 
			 Wye College, University of London 126 104 83 92 96 16 17 22 21 3.9 
			 University of York 1,790 1,526 85 92 1,404 211 15 18 253 1.1 
			 York St. John College 997 787 79 90 708 227 32 29 205 1.7 
		
	
	(2) Source: HEFCE Performance Indicators
	(3) The grouped benchmark values for the two sets of institutions are estimates

Students (Portsmouth, South)

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of full-time students stayed in education in the Portsmouth, South constituency after the age of (a) 16 and (b) 18 years in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2001; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Twigg: Data on the percentage of students staying on in full-time education are not calculated for areas smaller than LEAs as reliable estimates cannot be made. Participation rates at sub-national level are only available for 16 and 17-year-olds.
	The percentage of 16 and 17-year-olds in full-time education in Portsmouth LEA, which includes the constituency of Portsmouth, South, in 1997–98 and 1999–2000, the latest year for which figures are available, is set out in the table:
	
		16 and 17 year olds in full-time education: Portsmouth LEA
		
			 Age 1997–98 1999–2000 
		
		
			 16 73 70 
			 17 55 55 
		
	
	Participation rates by LEA are published in an annual statistical bulletin, 'Participation in Education and Training by Young People Aged 16 and 17 in Each Local Area and Region, England'.

Primary Schools

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on recent independent surveys regarding educational standards at primary school level in (a) maths, (b) reading, (c) science, (d) vocabulary and (e) non-verbal ability; and if she will make a statement.

David Miliband: We are aware of the University of Durham Performance Indicators in Primary Schools (PIPS) tests. The results of the national curriculum Key Stage 2 English tests show a 12 per cent. point increase in the number of pupils achieving the expected level for their age since 1997. That increase is reflected in the reading component which shows a 14 per cent. rise. We are confident of the validity of these increases, as are schools throughout the country.

Bilateral Ministerial Meetings

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when Ministers in her Department have held meetings with Ministers and officials of the Irish Government since 1 June 2000; when and where each meeting took place; which Ministers were involved in each meeting; which Irish Government departments were involved in each meeting; and which Ministers and officials from the Irish Government attended each meeting.

Stephen Twigg: From 1 June 2000 there have been no meetings between Ministers in this Department and Ministers and officials from the Republic of Ireland Government.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Foot and Mouth

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cases there are of disputes over payment between her Department and contractors employed during the foot and mouth epidemic; and what the total value is of unpaid disputed invoices.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 29 April 2002
	The accounts of the principal contractors used by DEFRA during the FMD outbreak have been the subject of detailed examination. This has been an extensive exercise as the contractors concerned carried out work to the value of hundreds of millions of pounds involving the generation of tens of thousands of invoices.
	As part of the verification and substantiation of contractor invoices, the Department has employed forensic accountants to examine the invoices of 107 of the largest contractors. In total these 107 companies have submitted invoices worth £474 million and, to date, the Department has paid £402 million in respect of these claims. The Department is withholding payment of the remainder until it is satisfied that contractors have provided sufficient evidence of work commissioned and carried out.
	Wide-ranging issues have arisen on the accounts. These include legal issues such as matters of contractual interpretation, forensic accountancy issues and evidential issues involving the assessment of both a large amount of documentation and proofing of witnesses.
	Some of these disputes will inevitably result in court proceedings although DEFRA remains committed to resolving matters by mediation where appropriate.

Committee Mandates

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Advisory Committee on Rural Development is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The mandate of the Advisory Committee on Rural Development is set out in Commission Decision 98/235/EC. The UK is not formally represented on the committee; members are directly appointed by the Commission, drawn from across the EU, on the basis of their socio-economic interests.
	The Commission, together with member states, is currently conducting a review to bring existing legislation on the conduct of comitology committees into line with Council Decision 1999/468/EC, to "simplify the requirements for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission". As an obligation to this decision, the Commission undertook to publish an annual report on the working of committees. The first report was deposited in the Libraries of both Houses on 26 February (Com (2001) 783 Final). As part of the review process, the UK Government have encouraged the Commission to produce and maintain an electronic database of every comitology committee, its agendas and recent actions, to be available through its website.

Committee Mandates

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Advisory Committee on the Common Agricultural Policy is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The mandate of the Advisory Committee on the Common Agricultural Policy is set out in Commission Decision 98/235/EC. The UK is not formally represented on the committee; members are directly appointed by the Commission, drawn from across the EU, on the basis of their socio-economic interests.
	The Commission, together with member states, is currently conducting a review to bring existing legislation on the conduct of comitology committees into line with Council Decision 1999/468/EC, to "simplify the requirements for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission". As an obligation to this decision, the Commission undertook to publish an annual report on the working of committees. The first report was deposited in the Libraries of both Houses on 26 February (Com (2001) 783 Final). As part of the review process, the UK Government have encouraged the Commission to produce and maintain an electronic database of every comitology committee, its agendas and recent actions, to be available through its website.

Sheep

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she plans to make it her policy to stop sheep that are susceptible to TSEs from breeding.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 13 June 2002
	The Government launched a national scrapie plan in July 2001 after full consultation with the sheep industry and other stakeholders. The plan is a long-term programme whose aim is to increase the level of TSE-resistance in the sheep flock by means of breeding programmes which encourage the use of resistant animals. Participation by sheep breeders in the plan is at present on a purely voluntary basis, but as part of the consultation it was made clear that these measures would be made compulsory at some stage.

Energy Efficiency

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what schemes the Government have introduced since May 1997 to promote energy conservation and energy efficiency within the services sector; and what their impact has been on energy consumption per square metre within (a) commercial, (b) retail and (c) Government offices.

Michael Meacher: The Government has introduced a wide range of measures to encourage energy efficiency in all sectors of the economy, including the commercial, retail and public sectors, which includes the Government Estate. The Climate Change Levy was introduced in April 2001 to encourage the more efficient use of energy. As part of the Climate Change Levy package, an Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme was introduced to provide fiscal incentives for businesses to invest in energy efficient technologies. The Carbon Trust was also set up to encourage business and the public sector to take up low carbon and energy efficient savings and measures.
	The Energy Efficiency Best Practice Programme provides free information and advice to these sectors. Since 1997, it has been delivering targeted energy efficiency briefings to boardrooms in the retail sector to raise awareness of energy efficiency, which has had a positive response. The Programme has also concentrated on providing groups within the commercial office sector with information on the business benefits of taking up energy efficiency measures.
	The Government Estate has had energy efficiency targets since 1990–91. We introduced a new 1 per cent. per year greenhouse gas reduction target in 2000–01, which will be reported on later this year. We are also developing new energy efficiency targets for the Government Estate, based on an assessment of the Estate's performance against national standards.
	The Best Practice Programme estimates its impact on annual energy efficiency improvements for the commercial and retail sectors. Actual consumption and floor space data are not collected on an annual basis, but for calendar years 1998–2000, total energy efficiency improvements stimulated by the Programme are estimated to have been 7 per cent. for the retail sector and 6 per cent. for the commercial sector.
	Annual consumption and floor space data are collected for the central Government Estate (excluding Ministry of Defence) to monitor performance against the Estate's energy efficiency target. Energy consumption in the Government Estate per square metre fell by 6 per cent. between 1997–98 and 1999–2000. Since this figure is collected on a different basis from the figures quoted above for the retail and commercial sectors, it cannot be directly compared.

Genetic Engineering

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will list the sites in the UK which involve the experimental genetic engineering of plants to provide simple vaccinations; and which of these sites are in receipt of Government financial support.

Michael Meacher: There are no trial sites of GM plants in the UK for the production of vaccines under the deliberate release regulations. However, my Department is funding one research project which seeks to produce transgenic plants that express GM antibodies, which will provide protection against E.coli O157:H7 when ingested by livestock. If effective this would have the potential to reduce the level of E.coli O157 in livestock and hence reduce the risk of zoonotic transmission. The total cost of this project over three years and nine months is £350k.
	The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is not aware of any current programmes in the UK which involve the production of GM plants for use as vaccines. They are aware of preliminary research aimed at developing GM apples intended to protect against dental caries, which is being carried out by a dental hospital in collaboration with a horticultural research centre.
	A number of centres in the UK are investigating the potential use of GM plant viruses as human or animal vaccines. These centres include the Scottish Crop Research Institute, the John Innes Centre, and Horticulture Research International. These projects which include using Cow Pea Mosaic Virus to deliver human or animal antigens, have been notified to HSE under the Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) Regulations 2000.

Flooding

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research has been commissioned by her Department on the likely impact of sea level rise on the land area of the United Kingdom; if a map of projected flooded areas has been produced; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: Flood Management is a devolved responsibility. The Department has a wide ranging programme of research related to climate change and its impacts. Recent specific research commissioned for flood management has included an assessment by HR Wallingford Ltd. of Coastal Vulnerability in 2075. This considered the potential impact of sea level rise and related changes for typical coastal defence structures and generally confirmed that current allowances for sea level rise recommended by the Department are reasonable. These allowances are currently being further reviewed in the light of the Climate Impact Scenarios published by the Department earlier this year.
	Climate change will increase the pressures on defences and increase the risk of flooding to defended areas, but will not significantly change the current maps of indicative coastal flood risk areas produced by the Environment Agency.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures the Government are taking to protect sites of special scientific interest from development.

Michael Meacher: In England, Planning Policy Guidance note 9 (PPG9) advises local authorities on nature conservation issues, including the importance of sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) and how they are to be treated in Local Plans and the planning framework. Planning authorities are required to consult English Nature before granting permission for development in, around or likely to affect SSSIs and to consider using their powers to impose conditions where necessary to avoid any damage to sites. Where a planning authority proposes to grant consent despite advice from English Nature to the effect that adverse impacts are likely to arise, the authority must inform English Nature so that it can consider whether to ask the Deputy Prime Minister to call in the application.
	Improved measures to protect SSSIs have been taken by amendments to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, introduced in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. These concern both owners and occupiers and also public authorities in the exercise of their functions. Additional international nature conservation designations bring further levels of protection.
	The Government indicated in the Green Paper—"Planning: delivering a fundamental change"—that it intended to review all PPGs. The review of PPG9 will enable it to be updated to reflect the recent legislative changes.
	In Wales, policy on planning and nature conservation is a devolved matter and is the responsibility of the National Assembly.

EU Management Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the EU Management Committee of the common organisations of agricultural markets for beef and veal is next due to meet; whether experts nominated by the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The EU Beef Management Committee is due to meet on 28 June and on 12 July. UK representation depends on the agenda items under discussion. Officials from the Scottish Executive and other devolved administrations attend as necessary in accordance with their interests.

EU Management Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the EU Management Committee of the common organisations of agricultural markets for sheep and goats is next due to meet; whether experts nominated by the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: Under Article 25 of Council Regulation 2529–2001 on the common organisation of the market in sheepmeat and goatmeat the Commission is mandated to establish a management committee to deal with market management of the sector and any matters arising for which the Commission has competence.
	Within the previous 12 months the management committee has met on nine occasions. The Sheepmeat Management Committee is due to meet in two months time to review the market situation and the impact of the recent reforms.
	UK representation on the EU's Sheep Management Committees depends on the agenda items under discussion. Officials from the Scottish Executive and other devolved administrations attend as necessary in accordance with their interests.

Packaging Waste Directive

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has to ensure that the EU packaging waste directive is fully (a) implemented and (b) complied with and that it is done so in a way that helps consumers return packaging to suppliers.

Michael Meacher: The current EC directive on packaging and packaging waste is fully implemented by the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 (as amended) and the Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 1998. A revision to the directive has been proposed. When this is finalised it is expected that it will be fully implemented in the UK through amendments to the existing regulations. Compliance with these regulations is monitored by the Environment Agencies. The new directive is expected to include higher targets for the recovery and recycling of packaging waste. As targets increase it will be necessary to recover more packaging material from the household waste stream, and we would therefore expect businesses and local authorities to work together closely to ensure that adequate household collection systems are set up.

International Trade Unit

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people are employed and at what grades in the international trade unit of her Department.

Margaret Beckett: On 24 June 2002 staff employed in the international trade unit (International Animal Health Division) were as follows.
	
		
			 Grade In post Vacancies 
		
		
			 Head of division 1 0 
			 Grade 6 0 2 
			 Head of branch 2 0 
			 Veterinary adviser 6 2 
			 Senior executive officer 3 0 
			 Higher executive officer 9 0 
			 Executive officer 12 4 
			 Administrative officer 23 2 
			 Administrative assistant 16 4 
			 Personal secretary 2 0 
			 Typist 1 0

Fishing

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  in the event that advice on aspects of fisheries management is devolved to regional advisory councils, with which EU member states the Government intends to co-operate in establishing these RACs; and what range of stakeholders she envisages holding membership of them;
	(2)  whether she supports the policy of devolving advice on all aspects of fisheries management to regional advisory councils; and which fishing zones she has identified where such RACs can operate.

Elliot Morley: The Commission's proposals for the establishment of regional advisory councils envisage that they would have the following functions:
	(a) to submit suggestions, of their own accord or at the request of the Commission or a member state, on matters relating to fisheries management to the Commission of the member states concerned;
	(b) to give opinions on Commission or member state proposals for fisheries management;
	(c) to comment on and recommend improvements in the application of Community legislation.
	The UK is supportive of the general principle behind the establishment of regional advisory councils, but the precise role to be given to them will be one of the important matters to be addressed in the forthcoming negotiations in the Council of Ministers. Decisions as to the regions to be covered, and the range of stakeholders to be involved and the member states from which they should be drawn, will have to be considered in consultation with interested parties once the Council has established more clearly the remit of the proposed RACs.

Refrigerators

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assistance her Department is planning to give to local councils towards the cost of disposing of refrigerators in this financial year.

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial aid has been made available to each local authority to help with the storage and disposal of refrigerators in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03.

Michael Meacher: In December 2001, we announced a payment of £6 million to go to local authorities to cover their costs up until March 2002 for the storage and disposal of refrigerators. We realise local authorities are in need of further funding and intend to make an announcement as soon as possible.

Refrigerators

David Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many fridges are awaiting disposal in each (a) waste collection authority and (b) waste disposal authority.

Michael Meacher: The exact numbers of fridges being stored pending treatment in either waste collection authority or waste disposal authority at any one point in time are not held centrally. However, current estimates suggest there are around 900,000 units awaiting treatment.

Illegal Meat Products

Tim Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what outbreaks of disease in animals in Cumbria have been linked to the imports of illegal meat products in the past five years.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 27 June 2002
	The Cumbria Foot and Mouth Disease Inquiry concluded that there is a strong likelihood that the foot and mouth virus that affected the UK during 2001 may have entered the country in an imported animal product—probably illegally imported meat. Prior to 2001, we are not aware of other disease outbreaks in Cumbria that have been linked to illegal meat imports.
	The Government published an action plan on 28 March 2002 to reduce the risk of animal and plant disease entering the country and then threatening our public health, and livestock, agriculture and horticulture industries. The action plan includes undertaking a full risk assessment of the probability of illegal animal products reaching susceptible animals and causing disease, the final report of which will be delivered in the Autumn.

Wild Animals

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her policy relating to the enforcement of statutory constraints on the sale of wild animals.

Michael Meacher: holding answer 27 June 2002
	We promote the enforcement of wildlife legislation through our joint chairmanship of the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime. The Partnership is a multi-agency body comprising all the main Government and voluntary bodies committed to reducing wildlife crime. One of its main objectives is to support the networks of Police Wildlife Liaison Officers and HM Customs and Excise Wildlife and Endangered Species Officers, who have statutory responsibility for enforcing the controls.

Secondments

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many secondments and exchanges of staff there have been between central and regional Government offices and organisations with a rural remit since November 2000.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 1 July 2002
	There have been nine exchanges of staff between central and regional Government and 39 exchanges with organisations with a rural remit.
	23 staff have been seconded to the European Commission and eight staff to other organisations abroad and those organisations may touch on rural issues.

Air Quality

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which of the pollutants covered by the National Air Quality Strategy are monitored by each of the main London air quality monitoring sites.

Michael Meacher: holding answer 1 July 2002
	There are 24 air quality monitoring sites in London reported in the National Air Quality Archive (http://www.airquality.co.uk). The pollutants measured at these sites, site type and their start dates are given in the table.
	
		
			 Site name Site type(4) Species measured(5) Start date 
		
		
			 London A3 Roadside Roadside NOx, CO, PM 1  0 20 March 1997 
			 London Bexley Suburban O 3 , NOx, CO, SO 2 , PM 1  0 1 May 1994 
			 London Bloomsbury Urban Centre O 3 , NOx, CO, SO 2 , PM 1  0 , benzene 23 January 1992 
			 London Brent Urban Background O 3 , NOx, CO, SO 2 , PM 1  0 26 January 1996 
			 London Bromley Roadside NOx, CO 11 August 1998 
			 Camden Roadside Kerbside NOx, PM 1  0 16 May 1996 
			 London Cromwell Road Roadside NOx, CO, SO 2 20 May 1998 
			 London Eltham Suburban O 3 , NOx, SO 2 , PM 1  0 1 April 1996 
			 London Hackney Urban Centre O 3 , NOx, CO 6 January 1997 
			 Haringey Roadside Roadside NOx, PM 1  0 , benzene 16 May 1996 
			 London Haringey Urban Centre O 3 16 May 1996 
			 London Hillingdon Suburban O 3 , NOx, CO, SO 2 , PM 1  0 3 July 1996 
			 Hounslow Roadside Roadside O 3 , NOx, CO 16 September 1997 
			 London N. Kensington Urban Background O 3 , NOx, CO, SO 2 , PM 1  0  (T+G) 1 April 1996 
			 London Lewisham Urban Centre O 3 , NOx, SO 2 16 April 1997 
			 London Marylebone Road(6) Roadside O 3 , NOx, CO, SO 2 , PM 1  0  (T+G), benzene, 1,3-butadiene 17 July 1997 
			 London Southwark Urban Centre O 3 , NOx, CO, SO 2 14 February 1997 
			 Southwark Roadside Roadside NOx, CO, SO 2 1 April 1997 
			 London Teddington Urban Background NOx, SO 2 , O 3 8 August 1996 
			 Tower Hamlets Roadside Roadside NOx, CO 1 April 1996 
			 Thurrock Urban Background O 3 , NOx, CO, SO 2 , PM 1  0 15 September 1996 
			 London Wandsworth Urban Centre O 3 , NOx, SO 2 , CO 1 April 1996 
			 West London Urban Background NOx, CO 1 January 1987 
			 London Westminster Urban Background O 3 , NOx, CO, SO 2 , PM 1  0  (G only) 17 July 2001 
		
	
	(4) Site types are described as follows:
	Kerbside: A site sampling within 1 metre of the edge of a busy road.
	Roadside: A site sampling between 1 metre of the edge of a busy road and the back of the pavement. Typically this will be within 5 metres of the road, with a sampling height of 2–3 metres.
	Urban Centre: A non-kerbside site, located in an area representative of typical population exposure in town or city centres (e.g. pedestrian precincts and shopping areas). This is likely to be strongly influenced by vehicle emissions, as well as other general urban sources of pollution. Sampling at or near breathing-zone heights (1.4–4 metres) will be applicable.
	Urban Background: An urban location distanced from sources and therefore broadly representative of city-wide background conditions e.g. elevated locations, parks and urban residential areas.
	Suburban: A location type situated in a residential area on the outskirts of a town or city. Will be influenced by several sources of pollution including traffic, commercial, space heating, regional transport, urban plume downwind of a city.
	(5) Pollutant species: O 3 —ozone; NOx—oxides of nitrogen (include nitrogen dioxide); CO—carbon monoxide; SO 2 —sulphur dioxide; PM 1 0 —particulate matter of aerodynamic diameter less than 10 micrometres. PM 1 0 monitoring is carried out using either the TEOM (Tapered Element Oscillating Microbalance; T in table above) or Gravimetric sampling (G in table above). Monitoring is by TEOM alone unless otherwise stated.
	(6) London Marylebone Road is a research site and is used for a variety of monitoring projects mostly involving measurement of airborne particulate matter.

Food Imports

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will bring forward proposals to ban the import of food products produced (a) under conditions and (b) using chemicals that would not be permitted in the United Kingdom.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 1 July 2002
	European Community rules require all products of animal origin imported from third countries to be produced to standards at least equivalent to those applied to Community production, and to conform to rules limiting or banning the use of certain chemicals. All consignments imported are subject to veterinary checks at an authorised border inspection post to ensure that import requirements have been complied with. Consignments that do not comply are rejected and will be re-exported or destroyed.
	Food which is not of animal origin, such as fruit and vegetables, entering the UK from third countries must meet the same food safety standards as apply to food produced in the UK. Under UK national regulations such imports are subject to checks on the basis of risk assessment by local food authorities at the point of entry to the UK and they can refuse entry or arrange destruction of foods that do not meet the UK's requirements.
	Food coming to the UK from other EU member states is in free circulation within the EU and is not subject to routine checks at UK ports. Such food can be subject to random, non-discriminatory import checks where there is information to support such action.
	From time to time the EU may make Decisions to be acted on by all member states, which require additional inspection or testing of specified foodstuffs.

Oral Questions

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many oral questions she has transferred to other departments in each of the last 18 months.

Elliot Morley: DEFRA was created in June 2001, and since then the number of oral questions transferred to other Government Departments in each month is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of oral questions transferred 
		
		
			 June 2001 6 
			 October 2001 7 
			 November 2001 2 
			 December 2001 3 
			 January 2002 2 
			 March 2002 2 
			 April 2002 0 
			 May 2002 3 
			 June 2002 1 
			  
			 Total 26

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

G7 Finance Ministers' Meeting

Tony Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the outcome was of the G7 Finance Ministers' meeting on 14 and 15 June regarding funding for education in developing countries; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	At their meeting in Halifax, G7 Finance Ministers noted the World bank's Education Action Plan and strongly endorsed the expeditious implementation of a plan focused on programme quality and measurable results. They pledged that, "each of us in turn will work to support the 'Education for All' goals with countries that have credible education plans and strong policy commitments in place. We urge other donor Governments and the multilateral development banks to join us".

Zimbabwe

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of NEPAD in bringing good government to Zimbabwe.

Clare Short: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 15 May 2002, Official Report, column 692W.

Zimbabwe

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what part the Crown Agents played in the (a) procurement and (b) supply of the Land- Rover Defender vehicles supplied to the Zimbabwean police as part of a DfID-funded project.

Clare Short: I suspended this project in May 2000 as it was no longer appropriate given the turbulent political situation and clear evidence of misuse of the vehicles for political ends. The Government of Zimbabwe placed the procurement contract directly with Land Rover Exports Ltd. The Crown Agents were not involved in the contract, but administered the grant account on behalf of the Zimbabwe Government.

Drought (Africa)

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the answer of 20 May, Official Report, column 14W, on Africa, what further financial assistance has been given to (a) Malawi, (b) Mozambique, (c) Zimbabwe and (d) other African countries affected by the drought; and if she will make a statement.

Clare Short: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for South-East Cornwall (Mr. Breed) on 17 June 2002, Official Report, column 61W.

Arms Trade (Indian Subcontinent)

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations her Department has received regarding the amount of GDP Pakistan spent since 1998 on (a) arms imports in general and (b) arms imports from the United Kingdom.

Clare Short: My Department has not received any representation since 1998 regarding the amount of GDP Pakistan spent on arms imports in general. DFID is working with the World bank and IMF to track Pakistan's reform programme, including the pattern of fiscal expenditure. Pakistan's defence budget as a percent of GDP has been broadly stable around 4 per cent. over recent years. However, Pakistan's intention to reduce defence spending is under threat given the current stand-off with India.
	The total value of UK standard individual export licences (SIEL) applications for which licences were issued in 1999 and 2000 was £11.5 million and £6 million respectively. By contrast, Pakistan's budget defence expenditure between 2000–01 was approximately £1.6 billion.

Sudan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the aid to be provided to non-departmental organisations to assist the people of Sudan in 2002–03.

Clare Short: The UK provides humanitarian support to Sudan through non-Government and international organisations. We also support the peace process and the preparation for peace. We expect to spend about £8 million in 2002–3.

EU Directives

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the EU directives and regulations that have been implemented through her Department in 2002; and what was the cost of each to public funds.

Clare Short: No new directives relating to international development have been implemented through my Department in 2002. The question of cost does not arise.

EU Directives

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the EU directives relating to her Department which have been (a) amended and (b) repealed in 2002.

Clare Short: No EU directives relating to international development matters have been amended or repealed in 2002.

EU Aid

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the steps she has taken to improve the quality and timeliness of EU interventions in seeking to assist the poorest countries.

Clare Short: My Department's detailed proposals to improve the quality, effectiveness and poverty focus of EC aid have been set out in strategy papers published in December 1998 and August 2001.

Development

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the purposes for which the United Kingdom's annual contributions to the International Development Association are used.

Clare Short: Under the last three year replenishment, the UK contributed 7.3 per cent. of new donor resources for the International Development Association (IDA)—the aim of the World bank providing concessional finance to the poorest countries.
	The World bank's annual report 2001 details the use of IDA funds by country, region and sector. This report will be available in the Library of the House.

Globalisation

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the progress of her proposals for managing the process of globalisation in a way that increases opportunities for the world's poor.

Clare Short: The second White Paper on International Development sets out an agenda for managing globalisation to ensure that poor people are able to share in its benefits. The White Paper sets out long term commitments for how the Government will contribute to achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
	Report on progress is contained in DFID annual reports.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

English Heritage

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the role of English Heritage in planning applications.

Tony McNulty: English Heritage is a non-Departmental Public Body responsible for advising the Government on all aspects of the built heritage in England. It has a statutory role as consultee in certain planning and other heritage casework. This role is set out in the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995 and the joint DETR/DCMS Circular 01/2001.

Ordnance Survey

Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister under what circumstances Ordnance Survey is permitted deliberately to omit information from OS maps; who is empowered to require this; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Ordnance Survey works within the guidelines of a Sensitive Site Register and discusses with the owners of the properties on the register the detail which can be shown on our mapping.

Beacon Status

John Austin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will invite councils to apply for beacon status in the fourth round of the scheme.

Nick Raynsford: We will publish an application brochure shortly, inviting councils to apply by 26 September 2002. Copies of the brochure will be placed in the Library of the House.

Health and Safety

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his departmental responsibility for setting health and safety standards for new building works and on their implementation by the Health and Safety Executive.

Christopher Leslie: The health and safety standards which must be achieved by new building works are set by the Building Regulations and are the responsibility of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. These standards are enforced by local authority building control officers. The Health and Safety Executive, responsibility for which now resides with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, enforces the separate legislation protecting the health and safety of workers and the public from risks arising during construction work.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Clarence House

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her estimate is of the cost of refurbishment of Clarence House; and how it will be funded.

Kim Howells: Detailed surveys are currently taking place to ascertain the extent of the Clarence House refurbishment works, which include work on fire compartmentation, automatic fire detection, upgrade of electrical and mechanical services and some redecoration. It is not possible to provide a firm estimate of the cost of the refurbishment until the completion of these surveys. The refurbishment will be funded from the current level of grant in aid for the maintenance of the Occupied Royal Palaces.

Royal Palaces

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what profit has been made from admission charges to (a) Windsor Castle and (b) Buckingham Palace in each year since 1992.

Kim Howells: The net surplus from admission charges to Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace for the years requested 1 are presented in the following tables:
	1 Figures for 2001–02 not available.
	
		Windsor Castle—year ended 31 March
		
			 Year £000 
		
		
			 1992–93 0 
			 1993–94 100 
			 1994–95 1,605 
			 1995–96 1,908 
			 1996–97 2,257 
			 1997–98 2,381 
			 1998–99 3,416 
			 1999–2000 2,386 
			 2000–01 2,096 
		
	
	
		Buckingham Palace—year ended 31 March
		
			 Year £000 
		
		
			 1992–93 0 
			 1993–94 1,090 
			 1994–95 1,336 
			 1995–96 1,615 
			 1996–97 1,630 
			 1997–98 1,023 
			 1998–99 996 
			 1999–2000 782 
			 2000–01 604

Queen Mother

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether special payments were made to Westminster City council to offset the costs it incurred in preparing for the funeral of Her Majesty the Queen Mother.

Kim Howells: Costs incurred by Westminster City council in preparing the processional route for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother will be met by the Government. They will shortly submit their claim to the Department for approval.

Interior and Garden Design

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the contribution to the UK economy of British interior and garden design in the last 12 months.

Kim Howells: Responsibility for the sponsorship of design rests with the Department of Trade and Industry. The Creative Industries Mapping Document 2001, published by my Department in March 2001, estimated that the size of design related activity within the UK economy as a whole at £26.7 billion. No separate estimates were made for interior and garden design.

Royal Parks Agency

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Royal Parks Agency concerning the pay award to employees for April 2001–02 formalised in September 2001.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no discussions with the Royal Parks Agency concerning the pay award to employees for 2001–02. I understand that the Royal Parks management and the trade unions are currently discussing the 2001–02 pay award.

Television Licences

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects to introduce measures to preserve the rights of beneficiaries of the Accommodation for Residential Care concessionary television licence scheme when the (a) social mix and (b) level of warden cover in their sheltered housing changes.

Kim Howells: holding answer 27 June 2002
	Consultations between officials and the BBC about the necessary amendments to the television licence fee regulations to introduce the proposed changes are currently under way. We intend to bring forward these amendments as soon as we can, but it is important that in doing so we do not create any new anomalies or unnecessary administrative burdens.

Television Licences

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many households are entitled to free TV licences in Portsmouth; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: TV Licensing, which administers the free television licence scheme for the BBC as Licensing Authority, is not able to provide geographical breakdowns of the number of free licences issued. However, estimates based on the 1991 Census indicate that there were approximately 14,600 people aged 75 or over in Portsmouth.

Radio Stations

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the start up costs for access radio stations.

Kim Howells: The Radio Authority has appointed a consultant to carry out an independent evaluation looking at a number of issues including start-up and on-going costs for each station. The Radio Authority's report will be sent to the Secretary of State early next year.

Radio Stations

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with representatives of small independent local radio stations on accessibility to digital radio multiplexes; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: None.

Film Classification

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if the British Board of Film Classification is able to change the criteria against which it determines classification of films.

Kim Howells: holding answer 27 June 2002
	Yes. The British Board of Film Classification is an independent body. The guidelines it has established reflect the law, but they also take into account public consultation and research, and are reviewed periodically to reflect changes in public tastes, attitudes and concerns.

Public Inquiries

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her policy is on using 0870 telephone numbers for inquiries by the public to the Department and its agencies.

Kim Howells: My Department does not currently use 0870 telephone numbers to handle public inquiries or for any other purpose.

Digital Television

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the different standards of definition used in digital television broadcasting.

Kim Howells: holding answer 1 July 2002
	Standards for definition used in broadcasting are set out in the Independent Television Commission's Community Digital Standards, which are to be adopted by all licenced services. These can be found at http://www.itc.org.uk/ itcpublications/codesguidance/DigitalCommunityStandards/ The BBC follow the specifications agreed by broadcasters in the D-book issued by the Digital Television Group.

OFCOM

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on progress in appointing a Chairman of Ofcom.

Kim Howells: holding answer 1 July 2002
	Advertisements for the position of Chairman of OFCOM have appeared in the national press and newspapers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. A panel, including two independent members, will interview short-listed candidates shortly and we hope to announce the name of the successful person towards the end of July or early in August.

National Lottery

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidelines have been put in place by the Secretary of State to guarantee that lottery money distributors transfer funds to grant recipients as quickly as possible; and what measures are in place to monitor the efficacy of these guidelines.

Richard Caborn: While the Government wishes to see Lottery funds benefit individuals and communities as quickly as possible, Financial Directions to Lottery distributing bodies do prevent them from drawing down money from the National Lottery Distribution Fund until that money is needed to meet the costs and expenditure incurred by grant recipients.
	We have asked distributors to explore fully what they can do, within their existing financial directions, to transfer committed funds more quickly to grant recipients. We are also considering, with distributors, how the financial directions might be amended to accelerate the transfer of committed funds, and whether any amendments might usefully be supplemented by guidance from my Department.

Recycling

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of (a) paper and (b) other goods purchased by her Department was recycled paper in each year since 1997; what the annual total cost of these purchases was; what plans there are to increase these proportions; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: All paper purchased for use in photocopiers, printers and Fax machines is recycled paper. Where the quality of the end product allows, all print orders also specify recycled paper is to be used. Paper is purchased as part of general stationery and that commodity before 2000–2001 was not recorded as a separate cost. In year 2000–2001 expenditure on paper was £27,450. In it 2001–2002 it was £29,363. The DCMS has in place, an Environmental Management System, one aspect of which is sustainable procurement, and central to which is the requirement for continuous improvement in environmental performance.

Swimming Pools

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) indoor and (b) outdoor Olympic standard swimming pools there are in England.

Richard Caborn: holding answer 1 July 2002
	We have contacted Sport England to request this information and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available, placing copies of my letter in the Libraries of both Houses.

School Sport

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she will implement plans to invest in school sports as announced by the Prime Minister on 11 January 2001 and 9 June.

Richard Caborn: DCMS/DfES are working together to deliver the PE school sport and club links project outlined by the PM in his announcements. Already 1.8 million primary pupils are benefiting from our investment in the school sports coordinators (SSCo) programme. Where SSCo partnerships have been established, pupils are enjoying increased: extra-curricular provision; opportunities for competitive sport; links with secondary schools easing the transition between Key Stages Two and Three; access to qualified sports coaches; and opportunities to access training in sports leadership. By September this year there will be 142 specialist sports colleges supporting 742 SSCos and 3,576 primary link teachers. SSCOs will be key in delivering the entitlement for all 5 to 16-year-olds to two hours a week of high quality school sport and physical education within and beyond the curriculum. We will extend the SSCo programme to reach all primary pupils by 2006 (subject to spending review decisions).

Tennis Courts

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) indoor, (b) outdoor with lighting and (c) outdoor without lighting tennis courts there are in England.

Richard Caborn: holding answer 1 July 2002
	We have contacted Sport England to request the information, and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available, placing copies of my letter in the Libraries of both Houses.

PFI Projects

Debra Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which PFI projects fall under the responsibility of the Department's NDPBs.

Kim Howells: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave her on 10 June 2002, Official Report, columns 1014–15W, which refers to the PFI projects under the responsibility of the Department's NDPBs.

Tourism

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  if she will make a statement on the impact on the English Tourism Council of her plans to change the marketing of tourism in England;
	(2)  what effect her plans to change the marketing of tourism in England would have on visitengland.org.uk;
	(3)  if she will make a statement on her plans to change the marketing of tourism in England; and what progress has been made;
	(4)  if she will make a statement on the long-term future of the English Tourism Council;
	(5)  if her plans to change the marketing of tourism in England would transfer functions of the English Tourism Council to (a) her Department, (b) the regional tourist boards, (c) the regional development agencies and (d) other companies or organisations;
	(6)  if she will list those who were consulted about her plans to change the marketing of tourism in England prior to their announcement;
	(7)  if she will make a statement on the marketing of tourism in England.

Kim Howells: holding answer 1 July 2002
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's announcement on 13 May of a programme of modernisation and radical change followed a full day seminar in October 2001, discussion at the Tourism Summit of Ministers in March 2002 and a Tourism Forum meeting in April 2002. In addition, there has been close consultation with Alan Britten (chairman of the English Tourism Council) and with chairs of regional development agencies as well as informal discussion with many people in the tourism industry over the last year.
	Since that announcement, good progress has been made in developing plans for the domestic marketing of English tourism. I have chaired two meetings of a small steering group, comprising senior representatives of the English Tourism Council, British Tourist Authority, Tourism Alliance, regional development agencies, regional tourist boards, Local Government Association and the private sector. We have considered a model for public-private coalition for domestic marketing and made an initial assessment of priorities for strategic delivery of other support to the industry, including considering the roles to be played by the regional development agencies, regional tourist boards and local government.
	In due course, we will make a further statement on the marketing of English tourism within the UK, a role which is not currently carried out at national level. However, the events of 2001 illustrated its huge potential and we intend to respond to that opportunity, since it will increase the long-term growth potential and sustainability of the industry. The industry is fully in support of this strategic change and key areas that the new organisation (a radically reformed English Tourism Council) is likely to consider are: the development of a national marketing strategy (including e-tourism and the usefulness and appropriateness of websites such as visitengland.org.uk); thematic marketing of England within the UK along the lines of what the British Tourist Authority does successfully abroad; engagement of the private sector (including match funding); and more efficient coordination of the huge expenditure on tourism marketing that already takes place at regional, sub-regional and local level.
	The English Tourism Council has worked effectively to take forward much of what was set out in the Government's 1999 strategy, Tomorrow's Tourism; it has also engaged the regional tourist boards to work efficiently together, including piloting new ideas and disseminating the results of those projects. I am pleased with this progress and we now want to increase the emphasis on delivery and results. The regional development agencies are best placed, working in partnership with the regional tourist boards, to do much of this. Accordingly, we will radically change the English Tourism Council into a body that focuses on marketing and associated activities such as e-tourism and relevant research. We have not yet decided on any transfer of functions to the bodies referred to in the question and no changes are planned to visitengland.org.uk. We will make a fuller announcement once we have completed our deliberations.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Retail Crime

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the annual cost of retail crime to (a) business, (b) local authorities and (c) the police has been in the past three years.

John Denham: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Weston-Super- Mare (Brian Cotter) on 14 May 2002, Official Report, column 606W.

European Legislation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 13 March 2002, Official Report, column 1100W, on European Documents, if he will make a statement on the nature of legislation under discussion in the fields of (a) visa policy, (b) information exchange and analysis, (c) pre-frontier measures, (d) border management, (e) improvement and co-ordination at operational level, (f) work of Europol and (g) aliens and criminals law and readmission and return.

Beverley Hughes: The Action Plan on illegal immigration was adopted at the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 28 February 2002. Measures within the plan are to be implemented in the short and medium term, with short-term measures to be implemented as soon as possible and in principle within one year of adoption of the Action Plan. Outlined below are the short term measures—both legislative and operative—in the six areas of the plan:
	Visa policy
	To improve document security on the basis of new technologies.
	To run a pilot project on using joint infrastructures and to strengthen consular co-operation.
	To conduct a feasibility study to determine the main features of the common visa identification system.
	Information Exchange and Analysis
	To draft an annual report consisting of a statistical overview and data analysis.
	To conduct a feasibility study with a view to developing a European system for exchanging information.
	To implement and appraise the existing Early Warning System.
	Pre-frontier Measures
	To step up co-operation via the liaison officer network.
	To continue to implement the action of the High Level Working Group on Asylum and Migration.
	Measures relating to Border Management
	To put into practice a risk assessment.
	To conduct a feasibility study on improving sea border controls.
	To analyse the possible contribution from police college (CEPOL) towards improving training.
	To step up co-operation with the operational services in the member states.
	To analyse the feasibility of a joint external borders service.
	Readmission and Return Policy
	To improve practical co-operation between the competent services.
	To determine appropriate criteria and practical arrangements for the compensation between member states of costs resulting from the enforcement of expulsion decisions.
	To analyse the actions and measures that may be envisaged on the basis of the Commission's Green Paper on return.
	To conclude outstanding readmission agreements with third countries.
	To further identify third countries with which readmission agreements need to be negotiated.
	To establish standards for the transit of returnees.
	Europol
	No short term measures.
	Penalties
	To put into practise the new Community instruments aimed at combating illegal trafficking of human beings.
	To determine the possibility of granting certain benefits/assistance to victims of trafficking of human beings.
	To conduct a study of the laws of the member states.
	To analyse the possibility of adopting provisions on confiscation of financial gains and on confiscation of means, in particular means of transport used in criminal activities relating to illegal immigration.
	To consider follow up to the Directive on carrier liability.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  when he will reply to the letter to him dated 18 March from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Afghan asylum-seeker ref DEV/00/1506;
	(2)  when he will reply to the letter to him dated 25 April from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. Amina Mdalem Fadem;
	(3)  when he will reply to the letter to him dated 22 April from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Ahmad Rezal.

David Blunkett: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 1 July 2002.

Social Exclusion

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the level of social exclusion in the city of Newport; and how his recently announced programme will measure a change in social exclusion.

John Denham: holding answer 20 June 2002
	The Newport Community Safety Partnership undertook a very thorough audit of crime and disorder in the city which informed their 'Strategy to Reduce Crime and Disorder in Newport 2002–05', which I launched publicly on 17 June 2002. Many people and groups were consulted during the audit process including councillors, MPs, interest groups and minority groups.
	The new strategy provides not only a clear direction for combating crime and disorder, but also addresses social inclusion issues. The strategy sets out clear objectives, performance indicators and targets for its key aims and progress against these will be the measure of its effectiveness. The strategy aims to: encourage good citizenship among young people; reduce the number of violent crimes; reduce the level of property crime; reduce the impact of drugs and alcohol and make Newport a safer place. Change will also be evinced by the Welsh Assembly Government's own social inclusion programme, which includes the Communities First initiative.

Serious Fraud Office

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met the Director of the Serious Fraud Office.

Bob Ainsworth: My right hon. Friend, the Home Secretary, has not had any meetings with the Director of the Serious Fraud Office since he became Home Secretary. However, the Home Department maintains close relations with the Serious Fraud Office and I attended an inter-departmental meeting on his behalf on 10 June at which the Director, Rosalind Wright, was also present.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met (a) the Director of Public Prosecutions, (b) the President of the Law Society and (c) the Chairman of the Bar; where he has advertised the post of Director-General of IND; when he will appoint the Director-General of IND; and how many civil servants are employed in IND.

Beverley Hughes: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary (Mr. Blunkett) last met the Director of Public Prosecutions on 10 June 2002 and the Chairman of the Bar Council on 8 March 2002. The Secretary of State has not yet met the current President of the Law Society.
	The post of Director-General of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) was advertised in the media as follows:
	21 April 2002—The Sunday Times Public
	22 April 2002—The Voice
	23 April 2002—Ethnic Media Group
	24 April 2002—The Guardian
	25 April 2002—The Times (repeated from the Sunday Times).
	It is expected that an announcement about the appointment of a new Director-General of IND will be made during July.
	There are 11,253 civil servants employed by IND.

Animal Research

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the reporting of the methods used in research on primates at Cambridge University;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of progress made in research on primates at Cambridge University in the past five years;
	(3)  what investigation he has made of non-animal alternatives to the research on marmoset brain research at Cambridge University;
	(4)  what plans he has to review research into primates at Cambridge University;
	(5)  what factors he took into account in assessing marmoset brain research at Cambridge University in order to evaluate (a) the potential benefits to be derived from the research and (b) the suffering likely to be experienced by the marmosets;
	(6)  what assessment he has made of (a) the housing conditions and (b) the post-operative care of marmosets involved in research at Cambridge University;
	(7)  if he will refer the research into primates at Cambridge University to the Animal Procedures Committee;
	(8)  what factors informed his decision to give each of the project licences for marmoset brain research at Cambridge University a moderate severity band.

Bob Ainsworth: We have received a copy of a report of an investigation carried out by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection into primate research at Cambridge university, and we are in the process of giving it careful consideration.
	As part of that, the Chief Inspector of the Animal (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate has been commissioned to report on the documentation, analysis and advice underpinning the original severity limits and severity bands on the relevant project licences. In addition he will advise on whether the licensing decisions were sound and defensible, and will review compliance with the relevant licence authorities.
	The Animals Procedure Committee (APC) may advise the Secretary of State about any issues relating to the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. The APC has been made aware of the concerns recently raised about the research in question, but the Secretary of State does not plan at this stage to refer the matter to the Committee, pending receipt of the Chief Inspector's report.
	The general factors taken into account in assessing the applications for licences to conduct the research are as set out in the Guidance on the Operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, and in the Chief Inspector's paper on the cost/benefit assessment published as part of the Animal Procedures Committee annual report of 1997 (both are available in the Library). In determining whether and on what terms to grant a project licence, section 5 (4) of the 1986 Act requires that the likely adverse effect on the animals concerned must be weighed against the benefit likely to accrue as a result of the programme specified in the licence.
	The severity bands assigned were determined according to the principles set out in the relevant sections of the Home Office Guidance on the Operation of the 1986 Act. The assessment of the severity band for the project as a whole reflects the number of animals used on each protocol and actual suffering likely to be caused as result. It is based on the overall level of cumulative suffering to be experienced by each animal, not just the worst possible case. It takes into account the proportion of animals expected to reach the severity limit of the protocol and the duration of the exposure to that severity limit, the nature and intensity of the adverse effects, and the actions taken to relieve the suffering. Professional judgment must be applied by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate (ASPI) on a case-by-case basis.
	Under the provisions of the 1986 Act, animals can only be used in scientific procedures when there is no alternative way to achieve the objective concerned, such as using computer models, cell cultures and other in vitro methods. This condition applies to the research conducted at Cambridge university and (ASPI) challenged, verified and advised this is the case. ASPI is composed of medical and veterinary graduates with a wide range of experience and expertise in the biomedical sciences, including research methods not involving the use of living animals.
	All establishments designated under the 1986 Act are required to provide standards of care and accommodation complying with the provisions of the Home Office Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals used in Scientific Procedures. This is required through conditions of issue attached to the Certificates of Designation and is monitored through the inspection programme. The required standards of post-operative care in this case were prescribed through the terms and conditions of the relevant certificate of designation, project licence and personal licences.
	Progress and conduct of the research has been monitored by ASPI in the normal way through announced and unannounced inspections, supplementary information obtained when licence amendments were sought, and from publications resulting from the programme of work.
	We will consider what further action may be appropriate when we have received the Chief Inspector's report.

Animal Research

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals in 2001 will be published.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 23 June 2002
	It is expected that these statistics will be published in the second half of July 2002.

Yarl's Wood

Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many detainees who were present at Yarl's Wood Immigration Detention Centre on the evening of 14 February had been removed from Britain as of Tuesday 21 May.

Beverley Hughes: Information about the number of detainees who have been removed is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by an examination of individual case files.

CRE (Annual Report)

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to make available the Commission for Racial Equality 2001 annual report.

David Blunkett: The Commission for Racial Equality's Annual Report 2001 is published today.
	I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library and for copies to be sent to the Scottish Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales.

Police

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what influence the funders of the British Transport police have over its policies, operational matters and personnel; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.
	The duties and responsibilities regarding the organisation, control and governance of the BTP are set out in the British Transport Police Force Scheme ("the scheme"). The current text of the scheme can be found in the Schedule to Statutory Instrument 1994–609. The scheme provides that the British Transport police (BTP) is under the direction and control of the chief constable. The chief constable, who is appointed by the BTP Committee, is responsible for the administration of the BTP in accordance with the directions given to him by the BTP Committee.
	The scheme provides that it shall be a duty of the BTP Committee to, among other things:
	(i) supervise the administration of the force by the chief constable on such lines as it may from time to time determine, following consultation with the SRA and others, to give him such directions as may from time to time be necessary for that purpose;
	(ii) secure the maintenance of an adequate and efficient police service by the force;
	(iii) determine the number of persons of each rank in the force; and
	(iv) provide and maintain such buildings, structures, premises, vehicles, apparatus, clothing and other equipment as may be required for the purposes of the force.
	The scheme also prescribes the composition of the BTP Committee, which is currently nine members including the chairman. The scheme provides that the BTP Committee shall consist of a chairman appointed by the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA), not more than six other members appointed by the SRA and one member each appointed by the operator of the national rail network and London Regional Transport. The scheme further provides that among the six SRA appointed members certain interests must be represented. These are:
	at least one member who has wide experience of, or who has shown capacity in, the control or administration of police; and
	a member appointed after consultation with the Rail Passengers' Committee and who has wide experience of the interests and concerns of users of railway services and facilities.
	In addition to these two specified required representatives, the SRA has currently appointed two independent members and two representatives of the train operating companies.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Certified Timber

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the refurbishment projects that (a) are in progress and (b) will start within the next six months; and what action is being taken to ensure that these will procure certified timber.

Jane Kennedy: The refurbishment projects currently being completed or due to start within the Northern Ireland Office are as follows:
	Compensation Agency—Refurbishing new accommodation for the Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeals Panel. In progress.
	Criminal Justice Division—Refurbishment work at Rathgael. In progress.
	Criminal Justice Division—Refurbishment of new offices for the Youth Justice Agency. Likely to start within the next eight weeks.
	Refurbishment contracts are procured for the Northern Ireland Office by the Department of Finance and Personnel Construction Service. No reference is made to the use of certified timber in any contract documents or specifications given to contractors.

Performance Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the (a) cost and (b) saving from the pursuit of the Department's Public Service Agreement targets in each year since they were introduced.

Jane Kennedy: The NIO's Public Service Agreement (PSA) was first published in October 2000 to cover the three-year period 2001–02 to 2003–04. As the PSA targets effectively embrace virtually all of our departmental activities, the cost of seeking to meet our PSA objectives is essentially the same as our total departmental expenditure. For 2001–02 (the first year of our PSA) this is currently estimated at £1.052 billion.
	The efficiency elements within our current PSA are already reflected in the profiling of the budget set for the Department whereby anticipated reductions in spending in one area are redirected to offset emerging pressures in other areas.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Television Monitors

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee what the estimated number of television monitors on the parliamentary estate is.

Marion Roe: It is estimated that there are 2,300 television monitors on the Parliamentary Estate.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Ministerial Salaries

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the annual cost was of ministerial salaries in his Department in (a) 1997–98 and (b) 2001–02.

Mike O'Brien: The level of ministerial salaries is recommended by the Senior Salaries Review Body. From May 1997, there were at the FCO one Cabinet Minister, at an annual salary cost of £43,991; three Ministers of State, at annual salaries totalling £114,088; and two Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State, at annual salaries totalling £67,255. Since June 2001, the FCO has had one Cabinet Minister, at an annual salary cost of £68,157; three Ministers of State, at annual salaries totalling £140,995; and two Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State, at annual salaries totalling £87,796.
	Those Ministers who are Members of the House of Commons also receive the full parliamentary salary, in recognition of their continuing constituency duties.

Afghanistan

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many prisoners were taken during coalition operations in Afghanistan; and how many of these are thought to be Chechen.

Mike O'Brien: We do not hold the information requested which would need to take into account prisoners taken by British forces as well as other coalition partners.

Liberia (Timber Trade)

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the UK Government will support the extension of the United Nations sanction against Liberia to cover the Liberian timber trade; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: The UK supports UN Security Council resolution (UNSCR) 1408 (2002), which calls on Liberia to establish a transparent and internationally verifiable audit regime to ensure that revenue derived from the Liberian timber industry is used for legitimate social, humanitarian and development purposes, and not for purchasing arms.

EU Directives

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the EU directives and regulations that have been implemented through his Department in 2002; and what was the cost of each to public funds.

Peter Hain: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office plays a co-ordinating role in the United Kingdom's EU policy, and so rarely implements EU directives. Regulations are directly applicable in the member states without the need for further incorporation into national law.
	I am not aware of any directives on which the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has led on implementation this year.

EU Directives

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the EU directives relating to his Department which have been (a) amended and (b) repealed in 2002.

Peter Hain: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office plays a co-ordinating role in the United Kingdom's EU policy, and so rarely leads on the amendment or repeal of EU directives and regulations.
	I am not aware of the amendment or repeal of any directives or regulations on which the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has led this year.

Statutory Instruments

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many statutory instruments have been (a) introduced, (b) removed and (c) amended by his Department since 1 January; and what the (i) cost and (ii) saving has been in each case.

Jack Straw: A list of statutory instruments which have originated from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office since January 2002 are listed as follows. To provide an assessment would incur disproportionate costs.
	As from 1 March 2002 explanatory memorandums have been provided for all affirmative instruments as announced by the Leader of the House on Friday 1 February 2002.
	
		
			 S.I. title Number 
		
		
			 The Territorial Sea Act 1987 (Jersey) (Amendment) Order 2002 2002/250 
			 United Nations The Al-Qa'ida and Taliban (United Nations Measures) Order 2002 2002/111 
			 United Nations The Al-Qa'ida and Taliban (United Nations Measures) (Overseas Territories) Order 2002 2002/112 
			 The Pitcairn Court of Appeal Order 2000 (Amendment) Order 2002 2002/249 
			 The Al-Qa'ida and Taliban (United Nations Measures) (Amendment) Order 2002 2002/266 
			 The Al-Qa'ida and Taliban (United Nations Measures) (Overseas Territories) (Amendment) Order 2002 2002/251 
			 The Overseas Territories (Zimbabwe) (Restrictive Measures) Order 2002. 2002/1077 
			 The Geneva Conventions (Amendments) Act (Overseas Territories) Order 2002 2002/1076 
			 British Nationality the British Overseas Territories Act 2002 (Commencement) Order 2002 2002/1752 (c.34) 
			 The Consular Fees Act 1980 (Fees) Order 2002 2002/1618

Annual Leave

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the average annual leave entitlement is for staff in his Department in 2002.

Mike O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given him by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Bradshaw) on 6 February 2002, Official Report, column 950W. Leave entitlements have not changed since then. Average leave entitlements could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Nuba Mountains Ceasefire

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Nuba Mountains ceasefire agreement; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: The Nuba Mountains ceasefire agreement is working well. Both the Government of Sudan and the SPLM/A have participated fully in the Joint Military Commission. This has resulted in redeployment of Government troops out of the relevant sectors and of the SPLM/A forces into agreed positions. Humanitarian assistance is being delivered to a region to which access had been denied for a considerable period. The population of the area now enjoys freedom of movement and the ability to cultivate on a wider scale than has proved possible in recent years. The agreement runs out next month. We hope that the ceasefire will be extended and have called on the parties to agree to this outcome.

Sudan

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff in the unit headed by the Special Representative to Sudan are (a) his Department's staff and (b) DFID staff; and what proportion, in (i) cash and (ii) percentage terms, of the budget of the office is provided by his Department.

Denis MacShane: The Sudan Unit's full-time complement is currently one DFID and three FCO officials. This is in addition to the UK Special Representative and the part-time legal adviser. The unit's staff costs are paid by the officers' parent Departments. The unit can also make recommendations about the use of FCO and DFID programme funds in support of peace, human rights and humanitarian assistance.

Sudan

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the (a) dates and (b) venues of meetings between the Sudanese ambassador in London and Ministers in his Department in (a) April, (b) May and (c) June.

Denis MacShane: The Sudanese ambassador accompanied the Sudanese presidential peace adviser when he met my noble Friend Baroness Amos at the FCO on 7 May.

United Nations Commission on Human Rights

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reason Her Majesty's Government's representative on the United Nations Commission on Human Rights abstained on resolution 2002–11, passed on 2 June.

Denis MacShane: The resolution, dated 19 April and sponsored by the African Group, proposed termination of the mandate of the UN Special Representative on Equatorial Guinea. The EU unsuccessfully proposed an amendment to permit continuation of a monitoring mechanism. The EU decided by consensus to abstain on the resolution, together with its associates, Canada, Japan, Republic of Korea, most of the Latin American and Caribbean countries. In our statement we expressed deep disappointment at the African Group's refusal to negotiate on the text of the resolution, appreciation for the work of the UN Special Representative, profound concern over human rights violations in Equatorial Guinea, and deep regret at the absence of any monitoring mechanism.
	The EU remains concerned at human rights violations in Equatorial Guinea. In the context of the recent trials of alleged coup plotters, the EU issued a Declaration urging the Government to respect their rights.

Political Union

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's understanding of the meaning of the phrase "political union" in the Laeken declaration; and if he will cite the previous occurrences of that phrase in documents agreed upon by the European Council.

Peter Hain: The term "political union" has been used at several European Councils to describe the unique political relationship that exists between members of the European Union, as set out in the European treaties. It has no formal definition, accepted by all, whether in Council meetings or elsewhere.
	The term has appeared in a number of documents agreed by the European Council in the past: annexe 1 of the presidency conclusions of the Vienna European Council 11–12 December 1998; and in conclusions to the Dublin, Rome and Maastricht European Councils in April and December 1990 and December 1991 respectively.

Western Sahara

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his EU colleagues regarding the referendum plan for western Sahara; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: UK officials are in regular contact with our EU colleagues. We continue to support the efforts of the UN in trying to find a just and durable resolution to the western Sahara dispute.

Turkey

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Turkish Government regarding the treatment of members of the Kurdish Rights and Freedom party in (a) Dujaibakin and (b) other cities.

Peter Hain: On 19–20 June, a senior official from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office led a UK delegation at the first formal UK/Turkey Human Rights Dialogue, in Ankara. There was a frank and constructive discussion of the human rights situation in Turkey, the measures recently taken to improve it and what remains to be done to ensure the rights of all, including the Kurds.

Morocco

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Morocco regarding their treatment of mourners at the funeral of Fadel Ismail.

Mike O'Brien: I have not received any reports of a Moroccan presence at Fadel Ismail's funeral, which took place near Tindouf in Algeria. There were reports of some disturbance at events in western Sahara after the funeral.
	As neither representatives of Mr. Ismail's family nor the Polisario nor the Algerian Government raised this matter with us, we have made no representations to the Government of Morocco regarding their treatment of mourners at the funeral of Fadel Ismail.

Seville

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the size was of the delegation from the UK for the European Council meeting in Seville.

Peter Hain: The delegation from the UK comprised 18 from No. 10 and the Cabinet Office (including the Prime Minister); 13 from the FCO (including the Foreign Secretary and me); one HM Treasury; and nine security staff.

Taiwan

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support he has provided to the Government of Taiwan in support of Taiwan's application for observer status at the World Health Organisation.

Denis MacShane: Taiwan's relationship to the World Health Organisation was discussed at the World Health Assembly General Committee in May 2002. There was no consensus in the committee for the matter to be discussed in the main assembly session and the matter did not come to a vote.

Belarus

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he will make to the Belarusian Government concerning the convictions of Mikola Markevich and Pavel Mazheiko for libelling the President; what further action he has planned to ensure that human rights are respected in this case; what action the European Union will be taking; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The court decision to sentence Nikolai Markevich and Pavel Mozheiko to "restricted freedom" for defaming President Lukashenko is the latest example of the disregard for international standards of human rights in Belarus. Our ambassador at Minsk has already made clear our concerns about the case during informal discussions with the authorities there.
	Representatives from our embassy in Minsk have, together with other like-minded partners (including from the EU, US & OSCE missions) regularly attended the trial. Both defendants have expressed their gratitude for this support, and made it clear that they believed it played a significant part in their not being sentenced to full custodial terms. Both of those concerned are expected to lodge an appeal in the next few days.
	Our embassy in Minsk will continue to monitor the case closely, and we shall continue to consult with our EU and other partners.

Business Ambassadors

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what criteria he adopts in his appointment of business ambassadors.

Denis MacShane: The ambassadors for British business are selected to represent a wide cross-section of British commercial success. They are people who frequently go abroad on working visits and have a wealth of specialist knowledge backed up by excellent contacts. They include the chairmen and executives of multinationals as well as smaller concerns.

Business Ambassadors

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 21 June 2002, Official Report, column 637W, how many official visits each business ambassador has undertaken, on what date and to which countries.

Denis MacShane: I will write to my hon. Friend with these details, and copies will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Green Minister

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who his Department's Green Minister is; when they (a) have attended and (b) plan to attend meetings of the Green Ministers' Committee; what the outcomes of meetings were for his Department's activities; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: I am the FCO's Green Minister and attended meetings of the Cabinet sub-committee in February and March this year. I will attend future meetings whenever possible. The committee has helped the FCO and other Departments to consider how Government policies can best contribute to sustainable development.

World Service

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his officials have had with HM Treasury as part of the spending review with regard to funding for the BBC World Service.

Denis MacShane: The BBC World Service's bid was submitted in February to HM Treasury in full, as part of the FCO's bid for additional funding in the Spending Review. Since then, my officials have been actively discussing the merits of the FCO's bid, including the BBC World Service, with Treasury officials. The BBC World Service has also made its own presentation to Treasury.

EU Enlargement

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment the Government have made of the effect of the membership in the European Union of (a) Poland, (b) The Czech Republic, (c) Slovakia, (d) Estonia, (e) Latvia, (f) Lithuania, (g) Hungary, (h) Slovenia, (i) Cyprus and (j) Malta on the European Union's budget.

Peter Hain: The Berlin European Council (March 1999) set a ceiling of 35 billion euro in payments for new member states for 2004–06. Based on its proposals for phasing in EU policies to new member states, the Commission estimates the cost to the EU budget of up to ten new member states acceding in 2004 to be 28 billion euro for the period 2004–06. This can be financed well within the ceiling on Own Resources (which will remain at 1.27 per cent. of GNP). The Commission's proposals remain the subject of negotiation and no estimate of the cost for individual applicants is given. The Government's view is that the final package must respect the overall financial ceilings agreed at Berlin.

Gibraltar

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the results of his discussions on Gibraltar with the Spanish Foreign Secretary on 26 June; what deadline exists for the negotiations with Spain on the future of Gibraltar; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and the Spanish Foreign Minister met informally in London on 26 June to continue discussions on Gibraltar. They had a friendly and constructive exchange of views. They agreed that we have made good progress since talks were restarted last year. The two Governments have found a considerable degree of consensus. They underlined their belief that it is sensible and right and in the interests of Britain, Spain and the people of Gibraltar to make this effort to resolve the dispute. They agreed to convene a formal Brussels Process meeting on 12 July in Madrid.

UK-USA Security Agreement

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the (a) purpose and (b) accountability of the 1948 UK-USA security agreement.

Jack Straw: It is a long-standing practice of this Government and previous Administrations not to comment on the detail of confidential arrangements which might exist between the UK and the US for the UK's national security.

MI6

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what mechanism exists to ensure that the exchange of information undertaken between (a) MI6 and (b) GCHQ and sister organisations within friendly countries, and to which Ministers do not have access, is conducted in a manner consistent with the national interest.

Jack Straw: Both SIS and GCHQ carry out their functions under the Intelligence Services Act (ISA) 1994. Section 2(2) and 4(2) of the ISA require that the Chief of the SIS and the Director of GCHQ put in place arrangements for ensuring that no information is obtained by SIS or GCHQ respectively and disclosed by them except in the interests of national security; for the purposes of the prevention and detection of serious crime; in the interests of economic well-being of the UK; or for the purpose of any criminal proceedings. The arrangements must also ensure that GCHQ and SIS do not take any action to further the interests of any United Kingdom political party. I am satisfied that the arrangements are in place to meet those requirements.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Exhibitions and Seminars Abroad Scheme

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what changes her Department plans to make in the support for the Exhibitions and Seminars Abroad Scheme.

Patricia Hewitt: A review of certain rules and procedures for the Exhibitions and Seminars Abroad (SESA) Scheme was concluded in March this year. This put forward a number of options for change which were subsequently refined into a set of recommendations. A wider ranging review of the needs of British Trade International's customers is currently under way. This is a strategic review to develop a simpler, more coherent and effective portfolio of services and it is sensible that the outcome of the work on SESA should now feed into this wider review. We shall not therefore be making significant changes to the SESA terms and conditions at this time, although one change is being made. This is the removal of the requirement for a minimum group size when groups of companies attend events with SESA support and therefore the removal of the need for a separate "niche" category for support.

Departmental Grants

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which organisations and outside bodies which were in receipt of grant in 1997–98 no longer are; what the annual saving is (i) individually and (ii) in aggregate; which organisations and outside bodies which were not in receipt of grant in 1997–98 now are; and what the annual cost is (A) individually and (B) in aggregate.

Patricia Hewitt: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend, the Chief Secretary on 17 June 2002, Official Report, columns 136–37W.

Western Sahara

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what advice is given to United Kingdom companies wishing to operate in western Sahara.

Patricia Hewitt: The British embassies in Rabat and Algiers are able to offer appropriate advice on a case-by-case basis to UK companies wishing to operate in western Sahara. More generally we advise companies wishing to operate in that territory to seek the advice and agreement of both parties to the dispute (the Moroccans and the Algerians/Polisario, who are all represented in London) as part of their business planning.

Carbon Emissions

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the (a) current total annual carbon emissions and (b) expected total annual emissions from installed capacity for all projects in the power sector fuelled by coal, oil or gas that have received assistance from the ECGD are since 1997.

Patricia Hewitt: Since ECGD does not have readily available information on the completion dates and operating schedules of all the power projects that the Department has supported, it is not possible easily to calculate actual total carbon emissions since 1997.
	However, for power projects for which a guarantee has been issued since 1997 it is estimated that upon completion of these projects total annual carbon emissions will be of the order of 13.3 million tonnes. This is based on the following assumptions:
	
		
			 Fuel Type ECGD Estimated capacity (MW) CO 2  (tonnes per year) million Carbon (tonnes per year) million 
		
		
			 Coal 11,260 40.6 11.1 
			 Oil 492 1.1 0.3 
			 Gas 4,367 7.1 1.9 
			  
			 Total 16,139 48.8 13.3 
		
	
	It has been assumed the plants operate for 60 per cent. of the time (5,256 hours per year). CO 2 emissions are calculated using the following conversion factors—Coal: 0.687 tonnes of CO 2 per MW per hour, Oil 0.417, Gas: 0.309. These are taken from the Greenhouse Gas Protocol website, www.ghgprotocol.org, and are the 1999 average values for power plants in "Economies In Transition". These are the markets where ECGD most commonly provide guarantees.
	Carbon emissions are calculated by assuming that carbon makes up 27.3 per cent. of the atomic mass of CO 2 .
	It should be noted that for most large power projects ECGD is only one of several finance providers. Scaling the carbon emissions by the proportion of finance guaranteed by ECGD would give a figure of less than 6 million tonnes per year of carbon, or less than 21 tonnes per year of CO 2 , that is directly attributable to ECGD's participation.

Arms Exports

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the value was of ECGD support relating to arms exports to (a) Pakistan and (b) India since February 2000; and what payments have been made under the ECGD scheme.

Patricia Hewitt: ECGD has not supported any defence exports to either Pakistan or India since February 2000.

Nuclear Power Stations

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the infringements of the no-fly zones around nuclear power stations that have been reported since inception, giving (a) the date, (b) the location and (c) an account of each incident; what action was taken to follow up each incident; and if she will make a statement.

David Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.
	There have been no confirmed infringements of flying restrictions around civil nuclear power stations since 1991. Information on earlier incidents is not readily available.

Construction Industry

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action she is taking to eliminate bogus self-employment claims in the construction industry.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply 
	to my hon. Friend.
	The Inland Revenue aims to ensure that the law on employment status is applied even-handedly across all sectors of industry, and that includes the construction industry sector. As part of its ongoing compliance strategy, the Inland Revenue's local employer compliance review teams consider employment status issues to ensure employers and contractors are compliant with the tax and National Insurance laws generally.

Motor Vehicles (LPG Conversions)

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many grants in respect of LPG conversions of motor vehicles have been given in each of the last five years.

David Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.
	The table gives the number of LPG vehicles benefiting from PowerShift grants in the last five years.
	
		
			  Financial year Number of LPG vehicles receiving Powershift grants 
		
		
			 1997–98 195 
			 1998–99 637 
			 1999–2000 1,674 
			 2000–01 4,246 
			 2001–02 3,967

LPG Fuel

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many vehicles subject to vehicle excise duty are capable of using LPG fuel.

David Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.
	DVLA statistics do not distinguish between liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and, say, natural gas vehicles; only between vehicles that are dedicated gas or petrol/gas combinations. Generally, however, cars and light commercial vehicles tend to use LPG, while heavier vehicles use natural gas. The table shows the last five years for which figures are available:
	
		
			   1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 Private and Light Goods 6,715 10,121 14,421 21,098 23,916 24,308 
			 Buses 31 53 97 121 139 153 
			 Goods vehicles 75 93 141 171 237 236 
			 Special vehicles 1,327 1,281 1,310 1,394 1,408 1,417 
			 Exempt vehicles 698 733 774 903 1,103 1,115 
			 Other vehicles 241 253 267 281 303 331 
			  
			 Total 9,087 12,534 17,010 23,968 27,106 27,560 
		
	
	These figures actually understate the number of vehicles because not all conversions to alternative fuelling are notified to DVLA and motorists are converting to LPG at an increasing rate. The total is expected to increase by about 25,000 per year over the next two years, prompted by the Government grants available, and the fact that low-cost LPG fuel is now available in all areas of the country.
	All vehicles used on public roads in the UK have to be licensed annually. Generally such licensing includes payment of a duty of excise (Vehicle Excise Duty) on the licence but a number of vehicles are exempt from payment of duty. All of the vehicles included in the table as PLG, buses, goods, and special vehicles are subject to payment of VED. The category "other vehicles" includes motorcycles and other miscellaneous vehicles.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Blind and Partially-sighted People

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to consult organisations representing blind and partially-sighted people including the Royal National Institute for the Blind in developing the next UK Employment National Action Plan.

Nick Brown: The current UK Employment Action Plan—for 2002-has been completed and deposited in the Library. It highlights the Government's employment strategy that seeks to ensure that the most help is given to those who face the greatest difficulty finding work, of which disabled people are a key group. The Department liaises with organisations like the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) on these policies, which are already in place or are being developed, at various stages.
	In addition to that consultation, the UK Disability Forum for Europe, to which the RNIB belongs, contributed to the 2002 plan. This contact will be continued when the next plan, for 2003, is being prepared. Officials will be discussing with RNIB how best that organisation might continue to the preparation of the 2003 plan.

Blind and Partially-sighted People

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures he intends to include in the next UK Employment National Action Plan to improve job opportunities and job retention for blind and partially-sighted people.

Nick Brown: The current UK Employment Action Plan—for 2002—has been completed and deposited in the Library. It highlights the Government's employment strategy that seeks to ensure that the most help is given to those who face the greatest difficulty finding work. In this context, the plan covers policies such as the New Deal for Disabled People, which extend to blind and partially-sighted people, as well as other people with disabilities.
	The exact content of the 2003 plan can only be decided when the European Employment Guidelines—to be proposed this November—have been agreed. However, integrating into the labour market all those with a disadvantage will remain a priority for the UK and for Europe. Therefore, measures in this area are likely to be reported on in the next and future Employment Action Plans.

Foster Carers

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to extend home responsibilities protection to all foster carers to cover the period over which they have fostered children.

Ian McCartney: Foster carers whose allowance contains a reward element may be liable for national insurance contributions on a self-employed basis. Where there is no liability, they may choose to pay voluntary contributions to assist in qualifying for state retirement pension. Foster carers who receive child benefit for their own children aged under 16 will be eligible for home responsibilities protection. We will keep these arrangements under review as we do with all rules relating to benefits.

Regional Organisations

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which of the agencies and NDPBs sponsored by his Department have a regional organisation; and if he will list the counties and unitary authorities in each region in (a) 1997 and (b) 2002.

Nick Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 19 June 2002, Official Report, column 406W.

Ministerial Visits (Wales)

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the (a) date, (b) location and (c) purpose was of visits by Ministers in his Department to Wales since 1997; and when he next intends to visit Wales.

Ian McCartney: holding answer 17 June 2002
	Since 1999 this Government have published an annual list of all visits undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. This Government have also published, on an annual basis, the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Information in respect of UK travel is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However my right hon. Friend the former Secretary of State (Alistair Darling) visited Swansea and Bridgend on the 12 February 2002, where he visited one of our new Pension Centres and a Jobcentreplus Office. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State (Andrew Smith) has no immediate plans to visit Wales, however my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Malcolm Wicks) is planning to visit Wales in the next month.

Benefits and Pensions

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what has been the cost of (a) unemployment benefit and (b) pensions as a percentage of the total services budget, in each year since 1997.

Nick Brown: Information is not held in the precise form requested. The Department accounts for its administrative and programme expenditure in accordance with its key objectives, which are published in the Department's Public Service Agreement (PSA), and the individual Requests for Resources (RfRs), which are published in the Main Estimate. Details of the total consumption of resources from 1998–99 onwards by areas now included within the Department for Work and Pensions, and of the amounts specific to people of working age and pensioners, are published in Table 1 of the DWP Departmental Report 2002–03 to 2003–04 (Cm 5424) which is available in the Library. Directly comparable figures for 1997–98 are not available.

Early Retirement

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the impact of early retirement on pension provision.

Ian McCartney: holding answer 27 June 2002
	If people choose to retire early, they must save more over the years that they are working to achieve the same retirement income.
	The Government believe that people should be able to make an informed choice when they plan their retirement, so that they have accumulated sufficient pension savings to provide the income they wish to receive. Our pension forecasting programme will help to achieve this by showing savers how much they can expect on retirement at state pension age.
	The Government are also committed to active ageing. We are tackling age discrimination in employment, not least so that older people have increased opportunities to retain or find work, and are not forced into early retirement. Our Age Positive campaign promotes to employers the business benefits of an age-diverse work force, including the recruitment and retention of older workers. We are encouraging employers to adopt more flexible approaches to retirement for the benefits it can offer businesses and the increased choice and opportunities it offers individuals for a later more active retirement. The report 'Flexible Retirement—a snapshot of large employers' initiatives', published on 17 June, showed that some larger companies are indeed adopting more flexible retirement policies. There are also signs nationally that approaches to early retirement have been changing, as each year for the last four years the employment rate of people aged 50 to state pension age has increased faster than the overall employment rate.

LORD CHANCELLOR

Third Parties—Rights Against Insurers

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if the Government accept the recommendations made by the Law Commission and the Scottish Law Commission in their report on Third Parties—Rights Against Insurers.

Rosie Winterton: The Government have carefully considered this report, and accept the Law Commissions' recommendations. A consultation paper will be issued shortly on implementing the proposals by way of a Regulatory Reform Order.

Land Registration Act

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the Lord Chancellor will implement the Land Registration Act 2002.

Rosie Winterton: The Land Registration Act 2002 will be brought into force on Monday 13 October 2003. This will allow sufficient time to consult on and make the necessary secondary legislation; to develop new office procedures to accommodate the new legislation and to carry out a thorough programme of education and training both within the Land Registry and across the wider conveyancing community.

PRIVY COUNCIL

Li Ruihuan

Ian Gibson: To ask the President of the Council what representations concerning the situation in Tibet he made to Li Ruihuan, Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, during Chairman Li's recent visit to the UK; and what response he received.

Robin Cook: My noble friend the Lord Chancellor met Mr. Li and raised Tibet and other human rights concerns with him.
	I hosted a large reception and banquet for Mr. Li, attended mainly by representatives of Scottish universities and businesses to celebrate their links with their counterparts in China. This occasion did not lend itself to exploring detailed issues of our diplomatic relations. I have raised Tibet many times with representatives of the Chinese Government and it figures prominently in the bilateral dialogue between our two Governments on human rights. In May the UK side visited a Tibetan community in Gansu Province, expressed concern at repression of monastic communities and raised the cases of 52 prisoners including Tibetans.

Parliamentary Questions

Alan Beith: To ask the President of the Council what recent assessment he has made of the performance of Government Departments in providing timely answers to written parliamentary questions; and if he will make a statement.

Robin Cook: No recent assessment has been made.
	However, I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (Mr. Yeo) on 2 May 2002, Official Report, column 949W.

TREASURY

Monarch (Taxation)

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the 1993 Memorandum of Understanding, if he will list the categories of taxation where (a) the treatment of the monarch is indistinguishable from that of other citizens, (b) the monarch is exempt and (c) the monarch is exempt but chooses to make voluntary contributions.

Gordon Brown: The position is fully set out in the memorandum, a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library.

Civil List

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the implications for Civil List annuity payments of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

Gordon Brown: The parliamentary annuity paid to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother ceased upon her death.

Civil List

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether requirement procedures for notification of the death of recipients of Civil List annuity payments upon the death of those recipients are the same as those for recipients of state pension payments.

Gordon Brown: Parliamentary annuities are paid under the Civil List Acts, and the legislation lays down no specific requirement for the notification of death of an annuitant.
	Payments of annuities cease upon the death of the annuitant.

Civil List

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the present level is of the Civil List Reserve.

Gordon Brown: As at 31 December 2001 the Civil List Reserve stands at £37,079,000.

Climate Change Levy

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) private sector and (b) public sector enterprises are eligible to pay the climate change levy in the Portsmouth, South constituency; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: This information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Oral Questions

Simon Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many oral questions he has transferred to other Departments in each of the last 18 months.

John Healey: Since January 2001, 16 of the 480 oral questions tabled to Treasury Ministers have been transferred, in each case because they were more appropriate to other Departments. The breakdown sought by the hon. Gentleman is as follows:
	
		
			 Date of oral questions Number transferred 
		
		
			 25 January 2001 — 
			 1 March 2001 — 
			 29 March 2001 1 
			 10 May 2001 — 
			 19 July 2001 1 
			 8 November 2001 5 
			 6 December 2001 2 
			 24 January 2002 2 
			 28 February 2002 1 
			 11 April 2002 1 
			 9 May 2002 — 
			 20 June 2002 3

Company Car Tax

John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his plans for company car tax.

John Healey: The new company car tax system linking the charge on the benefit of a company car to the level of its CO 2 emissions came into effect April this year.
	The Inland Revenue will be undertaking an extensive evaluation exercise to capture the effects of the reforms.
	Any changes to the system will be made in the context of the Chancellor's Budget decisions in future years.

Red Diesel

Peter Duncan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many random inspections for red diesel were conducted during each of the last five years.

John Healey: To detect misuse of red diesel Customs are increasingly moving to risk-assessed inspections made at premises. Roadside checks of vehicles tend to be less targeted and in some cases have a random element.
	I therefore refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, West (John Barrett) on 20 June 2002, Official Report, column 516W, concerning the number of roadside tests conducted.

Tax Law Rewrite Project

Barbara Follett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the work of the Tax Law Rewrite project.

Dawn Primarolo: I am pleased to tell the House that the Tax Law Rewrite project will soon reach another major milestone. The Inland Revenue will shortly publish the project's second draft Bill, on employment income, pensions and taxable social security benefits, for a final round of consultation. The Bill will be ready for introduction in Parliament by the end of the year.
	Earlier versions of this rewritten legislation have been extensively revised in the light of comments and suggestions from tax professionals and other interested parties. This continuous dialogue between the project team and business interests, tax practitioners, the legal profession and Inland Revenue specialists is a key feature contributing to the success of the project.

Community Development Venture Fund

Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 7 May 2002, Official Report, column 33W, on the Community Development Venture Fund, if he will place in the Library the performance indicators and targets that will be used for Bridges Community Ventures to measure performance.

Nigel Griffiths: I have been asked to reply.
	The Fund Manager's performance will be primarily measured against:
	(i) Commitment of the Fund within the seven year investment period, with at least 70 per cent. fully invested and the remainder committed to related follow on investment deals.
	(ii) At least a 10 per cent. IRR across a portfolio of between 50 to 60 investment deals.
	(iii) Investment deals being made in businesses located in the 25 per cent. most deprived qualifying wards in England, the business plans of which aim to:
	(a) Create/safeguard that at least 35 per cent. of the employees of such businesses are from qualifying wards, or,
	(b) Stimulate other businesses (e.g. supply chain) with at least 50 per cent. of non-salary expenditure going to local businesses in qualifying wards, or,
	(c) Serve local people and businesses in qualifying wards—i.e. core target for services and products.
	The Government, along with the other investors in this pilot Fund, expects the Fund to achieve social, as well as investment, returns. An independent specialist will be engaged to evaluate social impact and assess the Fund's performance in helping achieve:-
	Wealth creation in deprived areas;-
	Creation of good jobs in fast growing businesses
	Developing entrepreneurial role models and,
	Encouraging others in the venture capital supply market to spread their investments into the more deprived areas.

Community Development Venture Fund

Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 7 May 2002, Official Report, column 33W, on the Community Development Venture Capital Fund, if he will place in the Library (a) the criteria used for the tendering process and (b) a list of the companies who applied to administer the fund.

Nigel Griffiths: I have been asked to reply.
	The Community Development Venture Fund (CDVF) is not a Government administered or contracted out Fund, so (a) and (b) do not apply. I also refer the hon. Member to parliamentary question No. 61674 answered today.
	It is a private sector initiative led by Sir Ronald Cohen, in his pro bono role as chairman of the Social Investment Task Force. In order to ensure that public investment in the Fund represents good value for money in promoting the Government's objective of boosting entrepreneurial business in disadvantaged communities, agreement was negotiated based on its experience with the Regional Venture Capital Funds.

Community Development Venture Fund

Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 7 May 2002, Official Report, column 33W, on the Community Development Venture Capital Fund, if he will list (a) public and (b) private investors in Bridges Community Ventures.

Nigel Griffiths: I have been asked to reply.
	The public investor is the Government through the Phoenix Fund of the Small Business Service.
	The institutional and major individual private sector investors are listed on the Fund Manager's website at: www.bridgesventures.com and are:
	Doughty Hanson & Co; HSBC; Lehman Brothers; Lloyds TSB (Scotland); Merrill Lynch;
	Reuters; Royal Bank of Scotland; Schroder Salomon Smith Barney (partners in Citigroup);
	West Midlands Pension Fund; Sir Ronald Cohen and Tom Singh.

Community Development Venture Fund

Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 7 May 2002, Official Report, column 33W, on the Community Development Venture Fund, which Government Department will provide the funding announced in the last Budget for Bridges Community Ventures Ltd.

Nigel Griffiths: I have been asked to reply.
	The funding for the Government's investment in the Community Development Venture Fund is being provided by the Small Business Service (Department of Trade and Industry), through its Phoenix Fund.

Community Development Venture Fund

Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 7 May 2002, Official Report, column 33W, on the Community Development Venture Fund, if he will place in the Library the invitation to tender for the Community Development Venture Fund; and if he will make a statement on how the information was made available.

Nigel Griffiths: I have been asked to reply.
	The Community Development Venture Fund (CDVF) is not a Government fund but a private sector led venture capital initiative, in which the Government are an investor alongside other private sector investors. As such, the issue of invitation to tender does not arise in this case.
	As is common practice in the UK venture capital industry, the fund manager (Bridges Community Ventures Ltd) held discussions with a number of potential investors in the industry.

Income Tax

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Tooting (Mr. Cox) of 10 May 2002, Official Report, column 396W, on income tax, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of pensioners paid income tax in each year since 1992 broken down into figures for each tax bracket.

Dawn Primarolo: Estimates of the number and proportion of pensioner taxpayers by tax bracket are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Number of pensioners paying tax at lower(7) rate (000s) Percentage of all pensioners(8) Number of pensioners paying tax at starting(9) rate (000s) Percentage of all pensioners(8) Number of pensioners paying tax at 'savers' rate(10) (000s) Percentage of all pensioners(8) Number of pensioners paying tax at basic rate(11) (000s) Percentage of all pensioners(8) Number of pensioners paying tax at higher rate(12) (000s) Percentage of all pensioners(8) 
		
		
			 1992–93 1,160 11 — — — — 2,190 21 130 1 
			 1993–94 1,520 14 — — — — 1,920 18 130 1 
			 1994–95 1,390 13 — — — — 2,310 22 160 2 
			 1995–96 1,680 16 — — — — 2,110 20 180 2 
			 1996–97 2,270 21 — — — — 1,430 13 160 1 
			 1997–98 1,840 17 — — — — 1,980 19 180 2 
			 1998–99 1,950 18 — — — — 2,200 21 190 2 
			 1999–2000 — — 720 7 610 6 2,650 25 220 2 
			 2000–01 — — 760 7 610 6 2,750 25 230 2 
			 2001–02(13) — — 920 9 580 5 2,750 25 230 2 
		
	
	(7) From 1993–94 until 1998–99 a number of taxpayers with taxable income in excess of the lower rate limit only paid tax at the lower rate. This was because it was only their dividend income and (from 1996–97) their savings income which took their taxable income above the lower rate limit, and such income was chargeable to tax at the lower rate and not the basic rate.
	(8) Source: Government Actuary's Department.
	(9) In 1999–2000 the starting rate replaced the lower rate. Taxpayers with a marginal rate at the 10 per cent. starting rate from an extra £1 of earnings.
	(10) Taxpayers with a marginal rate at the 20 per cent. lower rate for savings income or the 10 per cent. ordinary dividend rate from an extra £1 of earnings. Before 1999–2000 these people would have been classified as lower rate taxpayers.
	(11) Taxpayers with a marginal rate at the basic rate from an extra £1 of earnings.
	(12) Taxpayers with taxable income above the higher rate threshold.
	(13) Provisional.
	Pensioners are defined as women aged 60 and over and men aged 65 and over. This information is based on the Survey of Personal Incomes.

Tax Evasion

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what amounts are involved in the prosecutions for tax evasion in the financial year 2001–02; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The amount involved in the prosecution cases for tax evasion in the financial year 2001–02 is £12,791,736.

Tax Evasion

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many prosecutions there have been for tax evasion in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: In the years since 1997, the numbers of prosecutions have been as follows.
	
		
			  Total Including internal cases of: 
		
		
			 1997–98 83 13 
			 1998–99 57 8 
			 1999–2000 55 2 
			 2000–01 68 24 
			 Plus tax credit cases 2 — 
			   
			 Total 70  
		
	
	The internal cases detailed include those cases of Inland Revenue employees who were prosecuted. They also include external accomplices.
	The 2000–01 figure of 70 prosecutions includes two cases of tax credit fraud.

Tax Evasion

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much funding has been given to investigating tax evasion in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The amounts of funding given to investigating tax evasion are not recorded in this way by the Inland Revenue.
	The annual report of the Inland Revenue records figures for the resources allocated to each of its departmental objectives. A copy of this report is in the House of Commons Library.
	One such objective is
	"bringing into the Exchequer the taxes, national insurance contributions and other receipts, maintaining contributory records and disbursing tax reliefs and credits, for which the Revenue are responsible".
	The resources attributed to the meeting of this objective include those which will be used in the investigation of tax evasion, together with other activities aimed at tackling non-compliance more generally. For example, there are some sections of offices and even some individuals, involved in a spread of compliance activities and it is not practical to isolate the funding figures in the way this question has been asked.

Public Service Monitoring

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 21 June 2002, Official Report, column 586W, on public service monitoring, if he will place the value for money scores for each financial year since 1999–2000 for each Government Department in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Boateng: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 21 June 2002, Official Report, column 586W.

Land Decontamination

Debra Shipley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what level of tax relief has been provided for land decontamination in each (a) nation and (b) region of the UK.

John Healey: Where qualifying conditions are met, waste arising from the reclamation of contaminated land is exempted from landfill tax wherever in the United Kingdom it is landfilled.
	Companies can also claim a 150 per cent. payable tax credit for the costs incurred in cleaning up contaminated land sites. No estimates of the take-up of this measure are yet available.

Inheritance Tax

Anne Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans the Government have to extend inheritance tax provisions to all people in the UK.

Dawn Primarolo: Inheritance tax is payable on the world-wide estate of those who die domiciled in the UK, or are treated as domiciled here by virtue of their length of residence.

New Businesses

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about the requirement for new businesses, including the self- employed, to register with the Inland Revenue within three months of setting up; what steps he has taken to inform businesses of this new requirement; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Newly self-employed people who are liable to pay Class 2 National Insurance contributions are required by law to register with Inland Revenue "immediately" but this term was not further defined. Following public consultation, we have established a set time-limit for registration. At its introduction in January 2001 the modified requirement was advertised through the national, regional and ethnic press and on local radio stations. The requirement is clearly stated in all the Inland Revenue leaflets and guidance on starting up in business. Inland Revenue is evaluating the effectiveness of the new requirement and a report will be issued later this year. In 2001, the first year that the new requirement was in force, the number of self-employed people registering with Inland Revenue increased by 19 per cent. over the number registering in the year 2000.

Treasury Building (Refurbishment)

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans his Department has to restore the parts of the facade of the Treasury main building not recently cleaned.

Ruth Kelly: Under the terms of the Treasury's PFI deal with Exchequer Partnership plc, it is their responsibility to clean the façade. The remaining parts will be cleaned in the next phase of the project.

National Insurance (Reduced Rate)

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what basis the contribution rate of married women paying national insurance contributions at the reduced rate is set.

Ruth Kelly: holding answer 1 July 2002
	All National Insurance contribution rates, including those for married women who chose to pay reduced rate contributions, are set to provide for contributory benefit expenditure and for an allocation towards national health service funding.

Cancer

Bruce George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the mortality rate was for skin cancer in the last year for which figures are available.

Ruth Kelly: the information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Bruce George, dated 2 July 2002
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question concerning skin cancer mortality rates for the last year for which figures are available. (66682)
	The latest available information is for deaths occurring in 2000. In that year, the death rate in England and Wales for malignant melanoma of the skin (International classification of Diseases Ninth Revision code 172) was 28 per million population for males and 21 per million population for females (directly age-standardised to the European Standard Population). 1
	1 Source: Office for National Statistics. "Mortality Statistics: Cause. Review of the Registrar General on deaths by cause, sex and age, in England and Wales 2000". Series DH2, Number 27. The Stationery Office (London: 2001).

HEALTH

Milk

Gillian Merron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ensure that all primary school children receive subsidised milk.

David Miliband: I have been asked to reply.
	There are no plans to ensure that all primary school children receive subsided milk. Milk provision policies are decided locally by local education authorities, or the governing bodies of former grant maintained schools and former grant maintained special schools.

Air Pollutants

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 15 May 2002, Official Report, column 678W, on air pollutants, what plans he has to make and assess measurements of concentrations of aldehydes in the air in localised environments; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Meacher: I have been asked to reply.
	An assessment of ambient formaldehyde concentrations was carried out by the former Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions in January to March 2000 to help inform the deliberations of the Department of Health's Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants. Formaldehyde was assessed as a marker for aldehydes. Monitoring sites were located at Teddington, London Marylebone Road, Southampton, Rochester, an industrial site near Hull and a coal burning site near Rotherham. Short-term concentrations (measured over 4 to 7 days) at all locations were low in comparison with concentrations that have been shown to produce irritation (see Table). Thresholds for sensory irritation in the majority of subjects are reported as 0.6–1.2 milligrams per cubic metre for formaldehyde and the World Health Organisation guideline is 0.1 milligrams per cubic metre. The highest concentrations were observed at the traffic dominated site at London Marylebone Road and the industrial site at Hull. No indoor measurements were taken. My Department does not have plans for further measurements of aldehydes.
	
		
			  Location and site type Mean formaldehyde concentration (micrograms per cubic metre(14)) Minimum and maximum concentrations in parentheses 
		
		
			 Teddington (suburban) 3.2 (0.25–9.1) 
			 London Marylebone Road (kerbside) 13.4 (2–33.6) 
			 Southampton (urban background) 2.3 (0.1–20.9) 
			 Rochester (rural) 1.2 (0.2–4.0) 
			 Hull (industrial) 4.4 (0.15–45.0) 
			 Rotherham (coal burning area) 0.6 (0.1–2.5) 
		
	
	(14) One microgram per cubic metre is one thousandth of a milligram per cubic metre.

National Care Standards

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the accuracy of the national care standards full regulatory impact assessment's annexe A paragraph 7 relating to the cost of upgrading a 24-bed unit; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  for what reason the national care standards full regulatory impact assessment placed in the Library between 23 and 31 January did not contain figures in line with a commitment made by his officials to the Leonard Cheshire Foundation on 3 August 2001; if he will publish a corrected version; and how the regulatory impact assessment would need to be amended in the light of this correction.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 7 March 2002
	A factual inaccuracy in the regulatory impact assessment has been brought to my attention. I will be making a correction to the regulatory impact assessment so that it accurately represents information provided by the Leonard Cheshire organisation.

Vaccines

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Government plan to set up their own vaccine production organisation.

John Hutton: holding answer 2 May 2002
	There are no plans for the Government to set up their own vaccine production organisation.

Vaccines

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration his Department gave to tests on the (a) Lister and (b) New York strains in smallpox vaccines; and what conclusion they drew, with particular reference to the superiority or otherwise in relation to other strains in vaccines.

John Hutton: holding answer 8 May 2002
	The choice of new vaccine was made on the basis of advice from the scientific community and from across Government. The advice of experts under the auspices of a specially convened sub-group of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation was sought specifically in relation to strain type and vaccine efficacy. Their advice was that there was no significant difference between the two strains on scientific grounds. Vaccines based on both strains were considered to have been effective in the past, and both strains are expected to produce effective new vaccines for the future.
	Though vaccines based upon both strains were used as part of the World Health Organisation's eradication campaign, there was a greater body of evidence to demonstrate the efficacy of the Lister strain vaccine than for the New York City board of health (NYCBH) strain. The Lister based smallpox vaccine, preferred by the UK Government, has been challenged in the field more often by the more severe form of smallpox (variola major) than the NYCBH strain.
	A dual approach, using a different strain for UK vaccine to that preferred by the US Government, as in the past, is considered to offer the best scope for successful new vaccine production, and provides a fall back mechanism if difficulties arise with the production of either vaccine.

Maladministration

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many findings there have been of maladministration by ombudsmen with responsibility for agencies under the remit of his Department since 1997.

David Lammy: Information on the handling of complaints is set out in tabular form by the parliamentary ombudsman each year as an attachment to his annual report. For those complaints where there was evidence of maladministration which warranted a full investigation, the table sets out how many complaints were upheld as being fully or partially justified. Copies of the parliamentary ombudsman's annual reports for the period 1997–98 to 2000–01 inclusive can be viewed in the Library, or on the parliamentary ombudsman's website at www.ombudsman.org.uk/publications.
	In addition, the pensions ombudsman has made 21 findings of maladministration with respect to the National Health Service Pensions Agency since 1997.

Disclosure of Interests

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what rules apply to the disclosure of interests on the part of those serving on public bodies which are responsible to his Department.

David Lammy: Government policy on disclosure of interests by members of public bodies was set out in "Quangos—opening the doors" (1998). This policy is reflected in model codes of practice issued by the Cabinet Office for adoption by these bodies. Bodies' codes require that board members should declare in a register for the purpose any personal or business interest which may, or may be perceived to, influence their judgment, and that the register should be kept up-to-date and open to the public. The codes also state that board members should not participate in the discussion or determination of matters in which they have an interest and should normally withdraw from the meeting if their interest is direct and pecuniary.

Staff Numbers

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff were employed in the Medicines Control Agency at 1 April; and what proportion of those staff have clinical contact with NHS patients.

David Lammy: The MCA have employed 517 full-time equivalent staff as at 1 April 2002 of which 12 (2.3 per cent.) have clinical contact with national health service patients.

General Practitioners

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what he estimates will be the average cost to general practitioners of opting out of 24-hour responsibility.

John Hutton: This will be addressed as part of the process for pricing the new general practitioners contract which is being negotiated by the National Health Service Confederation and British Medical Association.

General Practitioners

Andrew Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if it is his policy to exempt from the recommendation that providers of out-of-hours services put in place appropriate systems for call abandonment, call recording and the recording of clinical consultations those general practitioners who wish to carry out their own out-of-hours cover.

John Hutton: holding answer 16 May 2002
	The Government are committed to modernising primary care out-of-hours services in line with the recommendations of the Carson report, "Raising Standards for Patients: New Partnerships in Out-of-hours Care". These improvements include quality standards which all service providers, individual general practitioners (GPs) as well as organised providers, will be required to meet. These standards do however include some easements for individual GPs on reporting requirements and telephony standards for call abandonment, which it would be inappropriate to apply to GPs who choose to provide out-of-hours services themselves until the calls are routed through NHS Direct.

EC Decisions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the effects of Commission Decision 179 of 18 April 2000, 2002/I54/EC, OJ L54 25 February 2002, on current practice; and what reasons underlie the delay in enactment.

John Hutton: The Administrative Commission on Social Security for Migrant Workers oversees the application of regulations (EEC) 1408–71 and 574–72 on co-ordination of the social security and health care schemes of the member states. Administrative Commission Decision 179 concerned technical amendments to a number of European Union forms used for the application of various aspects of the regulations as a consequence of minor changes to the regulations themselves.
	The position on each of the EU forms concerned is as follows:
	E111 has been changed to afford extra health rights for students in some member states; there are no practical effects for UK students. UK E111s will be amended during the next reprint of the Department's leaflet, "Health Advice for Travellers", in late summer;
	E111B is issued only by Belgium;
	E113 and E114 are not issued by, nor required by, the UK;
	E115–118 are concerned with claims for cash incapacity benefits and are being reprinted;
	E125–127 are used between member states' health administrations on reimbursement of health care costs; UK-issued forms are produced electronically and the computer system is being updated.

National Institute for Clinical Excellence

Matthew Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ensure that health care professionals are informed of the direction his Department has given to support the implementation of NICE guidance; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: Chief executives of national health service bodies in England were told about the directions in a bulletin to them dated 14 December 2001. They were asked to cascade the information to all relevant staff.
	The directions came into force on 1 January 2002, and place statutory obligations on NHS bodies to provide funding for clinical decisions within recommendations from National Institute for Clinical Excellence within three months of their appraisal guidance being issued. The text of the directions has been placed on three websites:
	www.doh.gov.uk/pricare/pcts.htm
	www.doh.gov.uk/finman.htm
	www.psu.ppa.nhs.uk

Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Audit Commission will retain a role in assessing the operational efficiency at the NHS when the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection has been established.

David Lammy: Responsibility for assessing operational efficiency of National Health Service bodies will transfer from the Audit Commission to the new health inspectorate once it has been established. The Audit Commission will retain its core financial function of appointing auditors and undertaking financial audit.

Capital Projects

Debra Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent speeches he has made on design quality within his Department's capital building programme.

David Lammy: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State launched the Department's design programme in November 2001 at a joint conference with HRH the Prince of Wales. He recently appointed my noble Friend, the Lord Hunt of Kingsheath as the Ministerial Design Champion. My noble Friend addressed a number of conferences highlighting the Department's design programme 'Achieving Excellence in Healthcare Design', including:
	'Design and Primary Care conference', on 1 May 2002 hosted by the Kings Fund and the commission for architecture and the built environment (CABE). My noble Friend announced the NHS Estates and CABE joint framework agreement to contribute to the programme of delivering design excellence and thereby producing high quality environments for patients and staff. 'Championing Design Excellence in Healthcare Buildings', breakfast meeting at the NHS Confederation on 23 May 2002. My noble Friend addressed some of the recently appointed NHS Trust Design Champions and key decision-makers. 'Health Estates Facilities Management Association (HEFMA) conference' on the afternoon of the 23 May 2002. My noble Friend addressed an audience of estates and facilities directors outlining the Departments design programme.
	Future events are planned.

Correspondence

James Cran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when a substantive reply will be given to Mrs. D. F. Hay's letter of 26 January, concerning the state of the NHS.

David Lammy: holding answer 24 May 2002
	The Department has no record of receiving this correspondence. The Department's Ministerial Correspondence Unit is seeking a copy of this correspondence.

Correspondence

Richard Page: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will respond to the letter of the hon. Member for South-west Hertfordshire of 14 March, Ref 1005934.

Hazel Blears: A reply was sent on 1 July.

Correspondence

Peter Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will respond to the letter of the hon. Member for Hexham of 20 February on diabetes and isley research.

Jacqui Smith: A reply was sent on 8 April.

Correspondence

Peter Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will respond to the letter of the hon. Member for Hexham of 30 April on NHS dental treatment.

David Lammy: A reply was sent on 1 July.

Correspondence

Peter Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will respond to the hon. Member for Hexham's letter of 18 March on food security in the UK, ref. MCHANH001761.

Hazel Blears: A reply was sent on 24 June.

Age Discrimination

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if (a) his Department and (b) its agencies have a policy of not considering applications for employment by persons over a particular age.

David Lammy: holding answer 24 May 2002
	At present the Department and its executive agencies have a normal staff retirement age of 60 and do not consider applications for employment from those over that age. However, the Department is now involved in a centrally led initiative, winning the generation game, which will examine age-related issues such as flexible retirement beyond the normal retiring age of 60.
	The Department is committed to ensuring that older people are never unfairly discriminated against and complies with the rules and requirements of the 'Minister's Rules for Selection', 'The Civil Service Order Council', Her Majesty's Treasury requirements for recruitment and equal opportunity and employment protection legislation.

Drug Side-effects

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the structures in place to ensure that adverse drug reactions in patients are picked up at the earliest possible stage in situations where there are concerns about potential side-effects of a drug.

Hazel Blears: The Medicines Control Agency (MCA) is responsible for monitoring the safety of medicines on the UK market, and has well-developed procedures in place for pharmacovigilance, enabling early identification and prompt action in relation to drug safety issues.
	The yellow card scheme, introduced in 1964 after the thalidomide tragedy, has a world-wide reputation for effectiveness in detecting previously unidentified drug safety hazards. All newly introduced medicines are monitored intensively for at least two years, during which time the safety profile of the medicine is frequently reviewed to ensure that it is appropriately reflected in the product information for health professionals and patients. In addition to spontaneous reports of suspected adverse reactions, the MCA evaluates data on drug safety from a range of sources. In 1999, MCA acquired the general practice research database and its post-licensing division is now evaluating its potential in contributing to effective pharmacovigilance.
	The capability for early action on emerging safety issues is reflected in the MCA's high level and operational targets. These measure performance in terms of the time taken to make newly received spontaneous adverse reaction reports available for review and analysis by pharmacovigilance assessors. MCA's performance against targets is published annually and in 2001–02 all targets were met or exceeded, against a background of a 55 per cent. increase in spontaneous adverse reaction reports.
	The committee on safety of medicines (CSM) has a statutory role in advising the licensing authority on promotion of the collection and investigation of adverse reactions. CSM regularly reviews the effectiveness of the yellow card scheme, and on advice of the CSM in 1999 the scheme was widened to include pharmacists. Following a successful pilot in relation to the meningitis C vaccination programme, the CSM has advised that the scheme should be extended to nurses.

Advertising Campaigns

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on press and advertising campaigns in 2001–02; and what the planned expenditure is for 2002–03.

David Lammy: In 2001–02 the Department spent £21.146 million on press and media advertising. The Department's current forecast for expenditure on press and media advertising in 2002–03 is £20.494 million.

Doctors (Recruitment)

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those countries from which his Department will not recruit doctors.

John Hutton: National health service employers should not target developing countries for recruitment of health care personnel unless the Government of that country has reached Government to Government agreements with the UK. In these circumstances, individuals may be appointed to a structured programme aimed at enhancing clinical practice in order for them to return home after an agreed period.
	The only other exception supported under the code of practice is the long-standing tradition of providing health care professionals with formal training and education.

Children in Care

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the funding was for each of the last five years for children in care in England (a) broken down by health authority and (b) expressed as an average per head.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 17 June 2002
	Data on the funding specifically of children in care are not available centrally. Data on the funding of caring services for children are also unavailable broken down by health authority. The table shows the budgets, per head of population aged 18 and over for England, allocated by each local authority for children and family.
	
		PSS budget allocated to children and families per head of population aged under 18
		
			  1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham 192 210 234 278 330 
			 Barnet 167 237 242 217 253 
			 Barnsley 159 193 197 216 245 
			 Bath and North East Somerset UA 140 152 176 186 216 
			 Bedfordshire 145 151 166 185 201 
			 Berkshire 165 (15)— (15)— (15)— (15)— 
			 Bexley 132 168 227 214 224 
			 Birmingham 227 245 234 258 329 
			 Blackburn with Darwen UA (15)— 211 245 249 305 
			 Blackpool UA (15)— 218 254 306 390 
			 Bolton 186 188 200 211 231 
			 Bournemouth UA 226 244 282 339 383 
			 Bracknell Forest UA (15)— 181 183 184 224 
			 Bradford 185 186 195 219 247 
			 Brent 319 388 521 462 349 
			 Brighton and Hove UA 245 303 323 331 361 
			 Bristol UA 277 299 322 295 311 
			 Bromley 192 205 273 298 286 
			 Buckinghamshire 127 127 130 142 147 
			 Bury 139 149 186 212 219 
			 Calderdale 195 210 219 231 241 
			 Cambridgeshire (old) 189 (15)— (15)— (15)— (15)— 
			 Cambridgeshire (remaining) (15)— 176 189 179 180 
			 Camden 483 549 712 581 620 
			 Cheshire (old) 122 (15)— (15)— (15)— (15)— 
			 Cheshire (remaining) (15)— 120 123 133 161 
			 City of London 763 726 732 1,130 1,135 
			 Cornwall 133 140 155 200 223 
			 Coventry 200 201 227 266 299 
			 Croydon 241 225 267 265 298 
			 Cumbria 158 158 162 183 208 
			 Darlington UA 148 151 192 201 262 
			 Derby UA 236 257 286 280 295 
			 Derbyshire 113 120 131 163 169 
			 Devon (old) 143 (15)— (15)— (15)— (15)— 
			 Devon (remaining) (15)— 126 129 180 200 
			 Doncaster 125 153 173 196 229 
			 Dorset 128 145 138 153 95 
			 Dudley 131 153 162 184 186 
			 Durham 147 157 167 162 199 
			 Ealing 253 247 290 312 326 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire UA 105 103 115 125 141 
			 East Sussex 177 181 189 214 216 
			 Enfield 189 237 263 302 286 
			 Essex (old) 164 (15)— (15)— (15)— (15)— 
			 Essex (remaining) (15)— 169 178 191 210 
			 Gateshead 225 235 254 295 305 
			 Gloucestershire 133 133 165 174 189 
			 Greenwich 334 349 443 516 515 
			 Hackney 564 599 646 618 601 
			 Halton UA (15)— 132 148 204 223 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 627 663 848 837 547 
			 Hampshire 89 87 129 143 167 
			 Haringey 340 349 371 387 482 
			 Harrow 201 200 197 208 240 
			 Hartlepool UA 183 183 195 259 276 
			 Havering 165 166 174 195 206 
			 Hereford and Worcester 162 (15)— (15)— (15)— (15)— 
			 Herefordshire UA (15)— 158 165 192 214 
			 Hertfordshire 146 154 161 192 203 
			 Hillingdon 157 203 226 241 278 
			 Hounslow 255 250 264 296 390 
			 Isle of Wight UA 153 189 187 212 255 
			 Isles of Scilly 33 22 25 38 76 
			 Islington 693 742 599 758 713 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 604 674 699 749 626 
			 Kent (old) 166 (15)— (15)— (15)— (15)— 
			 Kent (remaining) (15)— 159 179 244 208 
			 Kingston Upon Hull UA 280 317 375 445 480 
			 Kingston Upon Thames 182 200 241 209 237 
			 Kirklees 160 180 180 204 224 
			 Knowsley 209 213 307 265 281 
			 Lambeth 426 456 486 558 599 
			 Lancashire (old) 157 (15)— (15)— (15)— (15)— 
			 Lancashire (remaining) (15)— 155 167 182 210 
			 Leeds 241 256 296 315 339 
			 Leicester UA 250 266 275 318 347 
			 Leicestershire 91 97 101 113 128 
			 Lewisham 317 385 513 594 513 
			 Lincolnshire 150 160 189 198 207 
			 Liverpool 268 277 290 309 394 
			 Luton UA 155 198 228 226 249 
			 Manchester 297 311 371 392 429 
			 Medway Towns UA (15)— 180 196 210 213 
			 Merton 205 198 233 296 287 
			 Middlesbrough UA 207 221 243 280 301 
			 Milton Keynes 197 254 252 254 266 
			 Newcastle Upon Tyne 282 248 324 363 394 
			 Newham 337 448 518 568 417 
			 Norfolk 123 133 153 205 215 
			 North East Lincolnshire UA 170 199 226 252 300 
			 North Lincolnshire UA 202 220 229 242 253 
			 North Somerset UA 109 160 165 175 193 
			 North Tyneside 291 303 357 299 300 
			 North Yorkshire 110 110 115 119 127 
			 Northamptonshire 145 152 166 199 191 
			 Northumberland 178 184 201 232 258 
			 Nottingham UA (15)— 355 416 451 454 
			 Nottinghamshire(old) 189 (15)— (15)— (15)— (15)— 
			 Nottinghamshire (remaining) (15)— 142 159 173 195 
			 Oldham 171 171 175 208 199 
			 Oxfordshire 115 120 135 132 155 
			 Peterborough UA (15)— 277 336 356 389 
			 Plymouth UA (15)— 241 273 319 380 
			 Poole UA 112 171 178 210 220 
			 Portsmouth UA 184 225 220 278 299 
			 Reading UA (15)— 235 273 280 315 
			 Redbridge 170 176 178 195 201 
			 Redcar and Cleveland UA 197 201 216 230 237 
			 Richmond Upon Thames 158 153 159 186 196 
			 Rochdale 198 205 218 225 201 
			 Rotherham 159 166 198 212 234 
			 Rutland UA 41 49 59 66 87 
			 Salford 231 216 233 359 398 
			 Sandwell 205 216 241 260 288 
			 Sefton 169 181 206 220 241 
			 Sheffield 184 189 223 261 268 
			 Shropshire (old) 132 (15)— (15)— (15)— (15)— 
			 Shropshire (remaining) (15)— 94 116 131 152 
			 Slough UA (15)— 246 203 279 247 
			 Solihull 156 166 176 191 224 
			 Somerset 116 130 128 149 157 
			 South Gloucestershire UA 72 94 110 121 140 
			 South Tyneside 232 257 285 302 343 
			 Southampton UA 241 252 268 286 342 
			 Southend UA (15)— 213 257 290 304 
			 Southwark 515 498 517 730 629 
			 St. Helens 178 200 229 249 279 
			 Staffordshire 113 126 136 168 183 
			 Stockport 194 210 220 245 258 
			 Stockton on Tees UA 138 143 159 179 224 
			 Stoke-on-Trent UA 193 212 314 252 266 
			 Suffolk 99 108 123 139 154 
			 Sunderland 220 220 244 286 325 
			 Surrey 140 139 149 170 180 
			 Sutton 168 181 199 231 239 
			 Swindon UA 137 122 164 176 183 
			 Tameside 218 231 244 250 285 
			 Telford and Wrekin UA (15)— 230 189 200 241 
			 Thurrock UA (15)— 190 204 219 235 
			 Torbay UA (15)— 247 291 302 410 
			 Tower Hamlets 377 403 413 467 456 
			 Trafford 147 154 159 174 187 
			 Wakefield 208 212 234 215 216 
			 Walsall 153 160 205 272 339 
			 Waltham Forest 222 257 297 305 344 
			 Wandsworth 554 570 553 601 540 
			 Warrington UA (15)— 137 122 145 160 
			 Warwickshire 136 145 167 177 184 
			 West Berkshire UA (15)— 149 166 196 207 
			 West Sussex 154 160 182 202 217 
			 Westminster 737 696 657 971 701 
			 Wigan 139 159 177 193 238 
			 Wiltshire 118 116 132 145 157 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead UA (15)— 156 182 177 178 
			 Wirral 176 189 203 218 276 
			 Wokingham UA (15)— 168 175 179 188 
			 Wolverhampton 232 240 262 297 312 
			 Worcestershire (15)— 177 197 189 206 
			 York UA 146 152 174 181 193 
			 England 185 198 219 241 255 
		
	
	(15) Not available as the council did not exist in that financial year.
	Notes:
	Budget figures are taken from form RA as recorded by the council's chief financial officer at the start of the financial year and divided by the population aged under 18 at 30 June.
	The population figure used in 2001–02 is the population at 30 June 2000.
	Budget figures shown in this table do not take account any subsequent revisions made during the financial year.

Children in Care

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children in care have been found to be illegal substance users in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not held centrally. The Office of National Statistics is currently conducting a survey for the Department of the mental health of children looked after by local authorities in England. The survey questionnaire includes a range of questions about drug use. The Office of National Statistics plans to publish a report of the findings in spring 2003.

Mutual Organisations

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on what support his Department has made available to those wishing to set up mutual organisations in the field of health and social care.

David Lammy: holding answer 19 June 2002
	The Department is considering a range of options for the legal status of foundation trusts and a form of mutual organisation may be considered. A new organisational form—the public interest company—may be considered. To date, the Department has not offered specific support available for either option.

MS Patients

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the establishment of the structures necessary to assess MS patients in respect of their suitability for the use of beta interferon;
	(2)  how many MS patients have commenced assessment for eligibility for beta interferon in the first four weeks since the scheme was launched on 6 May in each regional health authority; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: It has been estimated that up to 9,000 multiple sclerosis patients in England and Wales may be eligible to receive treatment under the risk-sharing scheme, which started on 6 May 2002. Some centres have now started prescribing under the scheme, though the guidance in Health Service Circular 2002–004 recognises that appropriate national health service infrastructure may not yet be in place in some localities. The scheme co-ordinator will collect information on progress and activity under the scheme, but as yet such details are not available centrally.

Empty Properties

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what empty properties in the London borough of Wandsworth are owned by (a) his Department and (b) other public bodies for which he has responsibility.

David Lammy: There are no empty properties owned by this Department within the London borough of Wandsworth.
	There are five former residential cottages on the edge of the Springfield Hospital site currently empty which are part of the national health service estate (owned by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State). They are known locally as Burntwood Villas (two), and Myrtle Cottages (three) all of which are situated on Burntwood Lane.
	These properties are currently in the process of being transferred to the local South-West London and St. George's Mental Health NHS Trust, who plan to turn Burntwood Villas into staff accommodation and to redevelop Myrtle Cottages into new general practitioner property.
	These developments are part of the continuing expansion of health care activity on the Springfield Hospital site.

Enzyme Potential Desensitisatia

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the health authorities which provide enzyme potential desensitisatia on the national health service.

David Lammy: Information is not held centrally on the types of treatment available to patients on the national health service by health authority.

Cane Hill

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 10 June 2002, Official Report, column 1088W, on Cane Hill, Coulsdon, which part of his Department is responsible for (a) the day to day management of Cane Hill and (b) making decisions as to its future.

Hazel Blears: The day to day management of the non-operational areas of the Cane Hill site is carried out by NHS Estates. The operational areas are managed by South London and Maudsley National Health Service Trust.
	Similarly, decisions on the future of the surplus areas of the site are made by NHS Estates following discussions with South London and Maudsley NHS Trust and any other relevant parties, and decisions for the future of the operational areas of the site are made by the trust.

Remploy

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the value is of Remploy products purchased by his Department in each year since 1995.

David Lammy: Payments by the Department to Remploy for goods and services in the last five financial years are £76,005 (1997–98), £14,962 (1998–99), £33,819 (1999–2000), £19,473 (2000–01) and £1003 (2001–2).
	Information prior to 1997–98 is not available. This answer does not include the national health service.

Crèche Provision (NHS Employees)

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the adequacy of crèche provision for NHS employees.

John Hutton: A national survey of national health service provision, undertaken early in 2001, found that 114 NHS trusts provided nursery facilities for their staff. The Government recognise that there is a need to provide support for parents working in the NHS in order to be a good employer, to improve the working (and home) lives of staff, and to recruit, retain and return key staff. For this reason, we have made over £70 million available for the NHS child care strategy, to develop an additional 150 further on-site nursery schemes by 2004. 60 new nursery schemes were funded last year and a further 30 have had funding allocated already this year. In addition, we expect all new build hospitals to include an on-site nursery in its plans.
	We are expanding the NHS child care strategy to cover other forms of child care and to ensure that all staff groups are included. We have pledged additional funding for the NHS child care, building up to £100 million, to do this.

Director of International Recruitment

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the proposed budget is for the Director of International Recruitment for Health Services in the next two years;
	(2)  who will be the next Director of International Recruitment for Health Services;
	(3)  if he will (a) set out the targets set out for the Director of International Recruitment and (b) list the performance against targets of the international recruitment for health for 2001–02.

John Hutton: holding answer 24 June 2002
	The Department currently has no plans to recruit a Director of International Recruitment.

Hospitals (Zero Stars)

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the progress of franchising the management of those hospitals with zero stars.

John Hutton: Five zero-rated national health service trusts appointed new chief executives under franchise arrangements in May and June. The hospital trusts concerned are: Dartford and Gravesham National Health Service Trust, Ashford and St. Peters Hospital National Health Service Trust, Portsmouth Hospitals National Health Service Trust, Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals National Health Service Trust, and University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire National Health Service Trust.
	A sixth trust, East and North Hertfordshire National Health Service Trust is in the process of being franchised. The remaining six hospital trusts which received a zero-star rating in September 2001 have been making progress under existing management arrangements and continue to be monitored closely.

Bed-blocking

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether, with regard to bed blocking, local authority social service departments will be penalised if a patient in hospital is awaiting a place in a home of their choice.

Jacqui Smith: The new approach we have proposed is about putting in place the right incentives to ensure people are able to leave hospital as soon as treatment is completed and it is safe for them to do so. Local authorities and the national health service will need to develop more appropriate settings than an acute hospital ward for patients to await a place in a home of their choice. We will be consulting on the details of the charging system later in the summer.

Beta Interferon

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made to make beta interferon available for MS sufferers by (a) primary care trusts and (b) hospital trusts serving North Yorkshire.

Hazel Blears: On 4 February 2002, Health Service Circular 2002/004, was issued to the national health service announcing the risk-sharing scheme for drug treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS). The scheme makes provision for an estimated 9,000 MS patients to be eligible for treatment on the NHS.
	In total 49 patients from North Yorkshire were receiving beta interferon therapy by March 2002. Following the implementation of the risk sharing scheme it is expected that the number of North Yorkshire residents receiving treatment will double to over 100.
	Given the potential number of patients who may be eligible, representatives from all four North Yorkshire primary care trusts and the North and East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire health authority met with clinicians and managers from York Health National Health Service Trust in May 2002 to discuss local implementation of the guidance. The trust prepared an initial assessment of introducing the scheme. An agreed action plan and the timetable for implementing the guidance will be available by the end of July 2002.
	For North Yorkshire residents who will not use the York assessment service, the following actions are being undertaken:
	Leeds Teaching Hospitals National Health Service Trust will be in a position to implement from July 2002.
	Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust has set up a steering group which met on 27 June 2002.
	South Tees Acute Hospitals National Health Service Trust has identified a designated specialist consultant neurologist and a list of patients requesting treatment is being drawn up. A plan for the delivery of the service is being drawn up and is due for completion in August 2002.

Performance Targets

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many performance targets he has set for his Department; and how many that were included last year have been dropped this year.

David Lammy: The Department is committed to six standards for the delivery of public services to meet the needs of citizens. These standards are called Service First and include:
	1. Answering correspondence (includes letters, faxes and e-mails) within 20 working days;
	2. Seeing callers with an appointment within 10 minutes of that appointment time; and seeing callers without an appointment within 20 minutes;
	3. Answering telephone calls quickly and helpfully within 10 rings;
	4. Provide clear and straightforward information about its services and those of related providers;
	5. Have a complaints procedure; and
	6. Do everything reasonably possible to make its services available to everyone.
	We expect these standards to remain in place throughout this year.

Back Pain

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average wait is for a GP referral to a hospital specialist for a back pain appointment in (a) England and (b) Gloucestershire; what steps he is taking to reduce this waiting time; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: The information requested is not collected. Waiting times are not collected by diagnostic group. General practitioners referrals to out-patient attendance are collected by medical consultant specialty. A patient with back pain may be seen by any one of a number of medical consultants in different specialties, though often to rheumatology or orthopaedics. Within these specialties, we have no further breakdown by diagnostic group.
	The NHS Plan sets out the progress we want to make on waiting times over the coming years. Each year these will fall, by the end of 2005 the maximum out-patient waiting time for a first out-patient appointment will be cut to three months. Urgent cases will continue to be treated much faster.
	As a step towards achieving the NHS Plan targets, from 1 April a new maximum waiting time of six months has been established for patients waiting for their first out-patient appointments with a medical consultant.
	The "Action On" programmes have been established by the Government as part of the modernisation of the national health service. They are led by the modernisation agency service improvement team. Their aim is to significantly encourage and disseminate best practice, improve access to care and to reduce variations in waiting times in the four specialties with the longest waiting times: cataracts, orthopaedics, ear, nose and throat and dermatology.

Delayed Discharges

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many psychiatric patients have had their discharge delayed in each quarter in the last year for which figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: The Department does not hold this information centrally.

Fertility Treatment

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many infertile couples were seen by specialists in Portsmouth, South in the last three years; how much was spent on fertility treatment in that time; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The information requested on the funding of fertility treatments and the numbers of couples seen by specialists in the Portsmouth, South constituency is not collected centrally.

Medical Malpractice

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been awarded lump sum damages payouts for medical malpractice in the last three years, broken down by constituency; how much money has been awarded in each of these years, broken down by constituency; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: Information on the numbers of people awarded lump sum damages payments and how much money has been awarded for medical malpractice broken down by constituency is not collected centrally.

Eye Tests (Children)

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements exist to provide eye tests for children of school age; what plans he has to change them; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: All children are entitled to free annual national health service sight tests provided by community based optometrists under the general ophthalmic services scheme. Children with spectacle prescriptions that are altering as they grow, are receiving treatment or who become symptomatic between examinations, may be seen at intervals of less than one year. In some areas health visitors and school nurses undertake sight checks when screening the health of young children. The eye care professions have been reviewing this practice and their report is expected to be available shortly.

Henoch Schonlein Purpura

Keith Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money his Department will provide in 2002–03 for research into Henoch Schonlein Purpura; and to which research centres it is allocated.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 27 June 2002
	A multi- centre, randomised, double blind, placebo controlled study to determine whether steroids reduce the development and severity of nephropathy in Henoch- Schonlein Purpura is being funded by the Wales office of research and development for health and social care of the Welsh Assembly Government. The lead researcher is based at the University Hospital of Wales, which is receiving £91,949 over three years including £19,460 in 2002–03. There are 19 other hospitals involved throughout Wales and the south-west of England.

Nursing Care

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when a report is expected on the evaluation of the impact of covering nursing care costs.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 27 June 2002
	We have already commissioned a full evaluation of the implementation of free nursing care. This will cover the first six to eight months of implementation and report in autumn 2002, so that lessons from the evaluation can be used in the implementation of national health service funded nursing care for all nursing home residents from April 2003.

Minimum Data Sets

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made on the application of minimum data sets.

David Lammy: holding answer 27 June 2002
	To date, national minimum data sets have been developed for use in the national health service as follows:
	Admitted patient care (in-patients and day cases)
	Elective admission (waiting) lists
	Out-patient attendances
	Accident and Emergency attendances.
	Collection of admitted patient care and outpatient minimum data sets for transmission via the NHS-wide clearing service is mandatory. Currently it is not mandatory for NHS trusts to exchange elective admission list or Accident and Emergency data sets via the clearing service.
	Building on work done by the clinical professions, considerable progress is being made in developing data sets to support sharing information along care pathways and the production of comparative clinical information to enable services to monitor quality and clinical performance. This includes developing clinical data sets in the national service framework areas as follows:
	Cancer
	Mental health
	Coronary heart disease
	Older people, including single assessment, stroke, falls and dementia, and
	Diabetes.
	The cancer data set has been piloted and once it has been revised in the light of the pilots, decisions will be taken on phased implementation in the NHS. Services are already beginning to collect the waiting times component of the data set.
	For mental health, a programme is in place to ensure that appropriate services are collecting the mental health minimum data set by 31 March 2003. Further work to develop a comprehensive mental health data set is planned.
	And for coronary heart disease, work is in hand to standardise four existing data sets on paediatric cardiac care, acute myocardial infarction, adult surgery and angioplasty to ensure they are consistent and to develop a more comprehensive data set. The paediatric cardiac care and acute myocardial infarction data sets are being collected and used to monitor services. Collection of the adult surgery data started in April 2002 with the aim of having robust national comparative data on the clinical quality of care by 2004.
	The older people and diabetes data sets are at an earlier stage of development.
	The NHS Information Authority is responsible for the development of national data sets which can then be applied across the NHS in England through their national data set development programme. The data sets are based on national standards which are approved by the independent NHS information standards board.

Laser Eye Treatment

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on entitlement to laser eye treatment.

David Lammy: Laser treatments to overcome problems caused by ophthalmic disease are available within all large ophthalmology units. Treatments such as capsulotomies following cataract extraction, photocoagulation and focal laser for diabetic retinopathy, and laser for macular disease are available within national health service hospitals. The NHS does not provide laser surgery to correct refractive errors, which can be successfully corrected by spectacles or contact lenses.

Free Eye Tests

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many free eye tests have been given to pensioners in each quarter since the scheme was launched; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: Eligibility to national health service sight tests was extended to those aged 60 and over from 1 April 1999. The table shows the number of NHS sight tests paid for by health authorities in England from 1999–2000 for those aged 60 and over.
	
		million 
		
			  Number of sight tests for over-60s(16) 
		
		
			 April 1999 to September 1999 1.51 
			 October 1999 to March 2000 1.79 
			 April 2000 to September 2000 1.87 
			 October 2000 to March 2001 1.88 
			 April 2001 to September 2001 2.01 
		
	
	(16) Figures for England

Nurses

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures the Government have taken to improve nurses' pay and conditions of service since 1997.

John Hutton: We have accepted in full and implemented the recommendations of the independent pay review body for nursing staff for the last four years without staging pay awards. From April 2002 all nursing staff will have received an above inflation increase of at least 3.6 per cent.
	Pay has increased across the board for all nurses employed in the national health service by at least 26 per cent. in cash terms since 1997.
	The introduction of nurse consultant posts has extended career opportunities for senior nurses who wish to remain in clinical roles and provided the opportunity to earn salaries of over £46,000.
	We are working with unions, professional organisations and employers to introduce a new pay system that will offer nurses and other staff working in the NHS a more attractive career structure, fairer pay and consistent conditions of service.
	The development of a child care strategy is a key element in improving working lives for staff in the NHS and plays a key role in the recruitment and retention of staff. Our child care strategy centres on providing good quality, accessible and affordable child care. The main focus of the strategy currently is the development of around 150 on-site nurseries with subsidised places. Funding available from April 2001 amounts to over £70 million. Around a further 7,500 places will be created by 2004.

Care Homes

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 24 June 2002, Official Report, column 733W, on care homes, when he is planning to issue guidance on qualified nursing input.

Jacqui Smith: The Department has commissioned the residential forum to produce further guidance on nurse staffing. Work on this is under way and due to be completed over the summer.

Rubella Vaccines

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what instructions the Department has given to Farillon on the amount of single rubella vaccines to be issued to private clinics in the UK.

Hazel Blears: The Department has a contract with GlaxoSmithKline to supply a fixed quantity of single vaccines for national health service use per year. These vaccines are owned by the Department. We use a private company (Farillon Ltd.) to store and distribute these vaccines to ensure that NHS needs are met. Any excess or remainder stock is made available for sale to private customers.
	We have instructed Farillon to manage orders so that the excess of vaccine stock is available equitably to all private clinics.

National School Fruit Scheme

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of apples and pears supplied to the pilots for the national school fruit scheme in (a) autumn 2000 and (b) autumn 2001 were of UK origin; and if he will list the other countries of origin of the apples and pears.

Jacqui Smith: pursuant to her reply, 11 June 2002, c. 1215W
	I regret that my previous reply was incorrect. It should read:
	In Autumn 2000 all apples and pears supplied to the original national school fruit scheme pilots were from the United Kingdom.
	We do not have comprehensive data on the origin of fruit in the much larger number of pilot sites in autumn 2001. We did not begin to collect such data until the regional expansion of the national school fruit scheme that started in April 2002, since when nationally contracted suppliers have routinely been providing detailed information on the origin of fruit.